Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Habitat

Brooklyn Bridge Park’s horticulturalist Rebecca McMackin told me recently that she consciously works to create habitat. The proof is in the animals: Spot-winged glider (Pantala hymenaea), a new species for me.
A reader of this blog, in private conversation, noted how the carrion beetle thing yesterday was a little queasy, but I personally find these lady bug larva the most daunting of insect forms. Fast, furious devourers; clearly the model for the thing they put in Pavel Chekov’s ear. Digger wasp (Scolia dubia), another of the blue/black-winged wasps. (I was looking at some crows up close recently and they have a similar blue-purple iridescence.) Very distinctive yellow spots and red hairs on abdomen. About an inch long. Deserves another view:Bumblebee, butt-up in bindweed. (Bindweed is generally freelance habitat, and this was winding up some fencing unbidden by the hard-working staff.)

BBP is now just over two years old. All my BBP posts are here in chronological order.

mthew

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5 responses to “Habitat”

  1. myra hope

    Wow. Truly magnificent photos
    You do justice to your subject.
    Thank you!

    Reply
    1. mthew

      Thanks, Myra!

      Reply
  2. Paul Otto

    Hi, Matthew.

    Jerry Layton and I met you on the Four Sparrow Marsh walk earlier this summer. He and I just scoured Brooklyn Bridge Park last night and didn’t see the Spot-Winged Glider. Do you happen to know in which section Rebecca saw it?

    Reply
    1. mthew

      Hi, Paul: this Spot-winged was my find (all photos on blog are mine). It was hanging on near the third of the freshwater ponds as you go south along Pier One. Picture was taken about 10:30am last Thursday from the main people/bicycle path. Lots of meadowhawks and Blue Dashers, but only one brief look of this one. I take it’s pretty unusual for Brooklyn?

      Reply
      1. Paul Otto

        Not sure about numbers, but I don’t see it very often. Sounds like it’s where Jerry and I saw a Great Blue Skimmer. As you say, otherwise it was mostly dashers.

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