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.”

life and death

On Thursday, I saw this Swamp Darner planting eggs in this sodden piece of old wood in the Vale of Cashmere. I’d seen the same thing happening… eight years ago (!) At that time, the darner was attacked by a Catbird once she’d finished her ovipositing, or at least some of it. The Catbird won.

On Friday, another Gray Catbird battered another Swamp Darner into a meal.

Back on the 12th, I spotted my first Gray Catbird nest. A pair were flying in nest-lining material. Sure seems late in the season, but they could be working on a second brood. This nest is about 10-15 feet up in a small bamboo grove, which is no place I ever thought to look.

Good gravy, is it Sunday already? Look out, here comes the collection plate…

mthew

3 responses to “life and death”

  1. Ewa Kozyra

    There is a catbird nest in our neighbor’s bamboo, too. The birds were flying in long colorful plastic ribbons and then pulling them into the thicket. That’s how it was discovered. They seem to adapt pretty well and use whatever comes in handy. The location is good, because it’s just yards away from blueberry bushes. Man, do they love blueberries!!

    Reply
  2. Paul Lamb

    The phoebe that built a nest on the wall of my cabin raised three broods one summer.

    Reply
    1. mthew

      That’s a LOT of work!

      Reply

Leave a reply to mthew Cancel reply