mthew

The ornamental cherry biz, filled with grafts, hybrids, and trademarked varietals, looks complicated. Luckily, the above samples are tagged and mapped in Green-Wood. This one, though, is not. There’s been a suggestion that it’s Prunus avium, wild cherry. Lots of pretty, to be sure, but not a lot of pollinators. They’re like roses, an exotic…

These two House Finches were in the same tree courting. Couldn’t get these two Carolina Wrens to cooperate for a photo, but they were foraging in close proximity.

The Northern Italian Wall Lizards seem to be doing well. I counted eight the other day, including the one in the series of photos below, peeking out of a crevice in a pyramidal mausoleum. Thank you to all the contributors to my keep-this-blog-afloat appeal!

The weather has been fluctuating. Days in the 50s aren’t very bug friendly, but once we start hitting the sunny 60s, they emerge. Did you know you can help maintain the cost of keeping this blog going?

Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus). This is, or better say was, a common species, but the birds have “undergone one of the sharpest and most mystifying recent declines of any North American songbird.” Here’s more information from the Rusty Blackbird Working Group. I reported this sighting on eBird. This male, forging on the edge of Green-Wood’s…

Backyard and Beyond is now accepting donations! If costs several hundred dollars a year to maintain this site, so I’ve put up a donations and tip “jar” feature for anyone who would like to help defray the tab. Thank you for your consideration and attention!

Yes, two. Grazing on the grass. Wrestling. Running at the sound of approaching cars, but fairly blasé about bipeds nearby. Donations.

Uh-oh. Trouble. This Red-tailed Hawk cached the remains (Gray Squirrel, I think) in this Atlas cedar. I saw the bird fly in empty-taloned, clamber up a limb, and only then start in on the retrieved leftovers. Backyard and Beyond is now accepting donations! If costs several hundred dollars a year to maintain this site, so…

Lots of little Golden-crowned Kinglets. A single Palm Warbler. The first warbler I’ve seen this spring. And here’s my second. Pine Warbler. Pair or Ring-necked Ducks. Competitive nesting. Not exactly camouflage.