May 2015
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Great Swamp
It’s already been two five weeks since we visited Great Swamp NWR. So these pictures are really out of date in the rapid advance of spring.For instance, whatever was holed in here may have emerged by now.
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Raptor Wednesday
You can eyeball the birds at the Raptor Trust in Millington, NJ, pretty closely, albeit through fencing and netting. A Peregrine (Falco peregrinus). American Kestrel (Falco sparverius). The animals on display aren’t releasable, but many of the birds bought here for rehabilitation are returned to the wild. Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura). The facility, surrounded by…
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Transition
This larval critter was snapping and bucking in the water. Because it clearly had places to go. Or something to become.
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Nesting
Green Heron (Butorides virescens) sitting on eggs out over the water. It rare to see Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) on the ground. These were stuffing their bills full of mud for their cup nests. Talk about the importance of varied habitats and general all-around messiness! This is a patch where the stone border of the…
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Snout’s Up
Small-to-medium-sized Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) peeking from the Duckweed and algae atop the perhaps deceptively named Lullwater in Prospect today. Update: On second thought, and thoughtful suggestion, this is probably just another Red-eared Slider. All that yellow in the chin wouldn’t be on a Snapping T.
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NYC WildFlower Week
Woodland Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum), a.k.a. Celandine Poppy. Last day of NYCWFW, with three events.
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NYC Wildflower Week: Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea. Check out the “faunal associations,” the animals that pollinate, eat, breed on, etc., listed on this species account: bees, wasps, butterflies, true bugs…. Blooming now. NYCWFW.
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Backyard and Beyond 