May 2015
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NYCWFW
The 8th annual NYC Wildflower Week starts tomorrow. And for the last several years, this event has gotten off with a bang… the explosion of bird voices in the blooming flowers and leafing trees. I call it the Listening Tour: a silent walk through loud woods. We are silent, the woods are loud. Set your…
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Two Turtles
How wonderful to be away from the tyranny of the Eastern Red-eared-slider! Great Swamp NWR management in fact urges you to report sightings of these invasive creatures. Meanwhile, the Swamp offers up several native species of turtles. On our recent trip, we saw a lot of Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta).Not unknown in NYC waters, the…
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Raptor Wednesday
A Red-tailed Hawk in Green-Wood. I was on a ridge, so the bird was only a little above eye-level.
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The Plains Indians:
Artists of Earth and Sky at the Met until May 10 is not to be missed. It is amazing and immensely sad. Drawing of artist’s world. Attributed to Wacochachi (act. ca 1820-1850), Meskwaki, Iowa. Ca. 1830. Ink and sealing wax on paper.Shield with guardian sporty. Arikara artist, North Dakota, ca. 1850. Buffalo rawhide, native-tanned leather,…
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Snakes on Monday
Two variations on Northern Water Snakes (Nerodia sipedon). The first was warming up ashore on a cool spring morning. The second was swimming between the sedge tussocks.New Jersey has 22 species of snakes, according to a NJ Fish & Wildlife pamphlet we picked up at Great Swamp NWR. Historically, there was at least one more,…
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Ol’ Blue Eyes
Phalacrocorax auritus, the Double-crested Cormorant, with reflections of cherry trees in torrid bloom in the water.
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Blooms, Bugs, Walks
Ornamental quince with pollinator butt. Which reminds me: I will be doing a Blooms and Bugs walk in Brooklyn Bridge Park on May 11th for NYC Wildflower Week. I’ll also be doing a sunrise Listening Tour for them on May 9th. And while we’re on the topic of walks, it’s the Jane’s Walk weekend (NYC…
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May Day
Amidst clusters of purple Viola in Green-Wood, a lone blue. Variation? Different species? A Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon): the azure is on the inside.Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) paints the sky blue. A Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) in the Great Swamp brings us back to the pinkish.
Backyard and Beyond 