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.”

Reporting for Duty

April 9th: Cabbage White

April 9th: Sylvanelater cylindriformis (I think)

April 9th: a small mining bee

April 9th: another unknown bee

April 10: American Lady

April 11th: mining bee (species unknown)

April 11th: Ichneumonidae wasp

April 12th: Cabbage Whites don’t waste time.

April 13th: Common Blue Darners, a migratory species, the first Odonata I’ve seen this year and already ovipositing.

April 13th: Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle

April 14th: Common Sun Beetle

April 14th: Crane Fly (Genus Tipula?).

6 responses to “Reporting for Duty”

  1. PATRICIA PICKARD

    I’m going to look down not up in my walk today. Thank you!

    1. I need more eyes.

  2. It’s a treat to see the variety of living things emerging in the spring,. Thanks for your posts!

  3. PATRICIA PICKARD

    Witnessed a Morning Cloak butterfly today.

  4. What are those white flowers?

    1. Japanese Andromeda/Pieris japonica, a very early bloomer here. The flowers are pretty small, 1/4″ long, to give you a sense of how small these bees are.

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