mthew
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Twilight’s Last Gulls
This was a recent sunset over Governor’s Island. It was cold there on the edge of the water, colder than anywhere else around, but the sight was worth the bone-chill of time. But even when it’s not a technicolor spectacle — and this one reminded me of the many-initialed Turner — sunset on New York…
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Beautiful
Sometimes in the shit-storm of bullshit that so overwhelms us, we just need to stop and look at the world. Given that it’s February and all the roses are imported from horror-stricken farms where the workers are brutalized and doused with toxic chemicals and then the roses themselves are stripped of their thorns — what…
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Red-bellied
One of our most common city woodpeckers, the Red-bellied (Melanerpes carolinus). Winter is the best time to see them, clambering up bare trees. The bird’s call, a “quirrrr,” is also one of the most common winter bird sounds. In spring, they’re often noticed because Starlings attempt to steal their nest holes in loud battles. This…
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3/262
Rare Birds of North America is a very interesting book, but it’s definitely for the advanced birder. The front matter, however, includes an excellent discussion of vagrancy and the question of how these birds show up here, through drift, disorientation, overshooting, dispersal… which should be of interest to all nature-literate folk. It’s a much-noted fact…
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Amidst The Eagles
Would you believe me if I said there were so many Bald Eagles 50 minutes north of NYC by train that I simply lost count of the plethora of winged giants in the winter landscape? Luckily, somebody was keeping score: one member of our Brooklyn Brainery party tallied two dozen eagle sightings during our excursion…
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Croton Point Field Trip
I’m leading a trip up to Croton Point to look for Bald Eagles with Brooklyn Brainery. The trip sold out before I had a chance to post notice of it here. The picture above is from last winter. There is now a confirmed Bald Eagle nest in Staten Island, or, rather, offshore of Staten Island,…
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All Trees Edition
River Birch (Betula nigra), young above and middle-aged below, if I’m not mistaken. The giant old Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) between the two bridges.Bud on ice. Waiting, waiting…A trio of Catalpa trees, prime Two-Spotted Ladybug habitat.The Kentucky Coffee trees on the right, however, don’t inspire the aphids the ladybugs eat.Catalpa pods.
Backyard and Beyond 