November 2020
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Just Batty
A Green-Wood gardener called my attention to two Eastern Red Bats hanging from maple leaves in the cemetery last week. These were at eye level. Who knows what was further up…. Looking like old leaves or rotten fruit/cones, this is their day camouflage. I’ve seen the occasional bat in flight in Brooklyn over the years.…
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We’re Back!
Nature blogging is hard work. We’ll be back to regularly scheduled narrowcasting on the ‘morrow.
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T-Day and Counting
I am struck by the case of the now notorious Maine wedding, whose participants took the pandemic to a rural town and killed at least seven people. None of the murdered victims were at the wedding — the insidiousness of a virus is that it spreads beyond one’s kin and ken. Long term care worker’s…
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Happy Thanksgiving!
Next year, we’ll get back to partying and feasting with a festive crowd. This year, we won’t help the virus spread.
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Which Plants?
“A small percentage of plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera” across the U.S. This new study on keystone species shows that “a small percentage of the plant lineages within a region support larval development in the vast majority of resident Lepidoptera.” “The top 5 genera were Quercus (‘Oaks’), Salix (‘Willows’), Prunus (‘Cherries, Plums, Peaches,…
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Pandemic Notes
Back in April, we noticed the long white trucks parked down at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. I guessed they were extra refrigerator trucks to be used as temporary morgues for the first surge of COVID-19 after similar trucks were reported at local hospitals. That proved to be correct, unfortunately. The trucks have been there…
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Stay Tuned
We’re having technically difficulties here at the ol’ blog factory. I think I’ve ran out of mega, or is it giga-, bytes. Again. Meaning I can’t add pictures. But, have no fear, there’s a vast backcatalog to peruse. Index to the right.
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Late Pollination
There is very little pollination real estate available out there now. It being past middle November and all. This dandelion flower, the only blooming flower visible, was crowded with two Margined Calligrapher flies and a Common Drone Fly the other day. *** It seems as if capitalism no longer needs democracy. China’s ample proof of…
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Flocking Fall Birds
Red-winged Blackbirds. Dark-eyed Juncos. Cedar Waxwings. American Goldfinches. Ok, these are mostly solo shots, but each of these birds was part of a flock…. This male Red-wing, however, was on the todd.
Backyard and Beyond 