mthew
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Auspices
On an otherwise empty platform of the Ardsley-on-Hudson train station, this White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) lay dead, probably a victim of collision with the windows overlooking the Hudson. It was a day for symbolism. We saw eagles and hawks in the sky, foretelling what exactly (this probably depended, for the ancient Romans, on how much…
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Palisades
One last boating trip of the year.The Commodore headed up the Hudson for a look at the leaves.A hazy afternoon made for some impressionistic views.
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Skulltacular
Various bird skulls, crafted of, from the left, metal, white chocolate (yes!), and ceramic. Metal wishbone and ceramic turtle skull lurking on the upper right. A Halloween/Day of the Dead combo.
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Early Stages
This is some kind of Lacewing larva. It was found predating under the Catalpa leaves, where the ladybugs are still to be found, too, deep into October. On the rocks below the trees, a lady bug pupa.
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After the rain
A wet, leaf-rotting, ground-enriching fall is good mushroom weather.
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Beechwood
This is an approximation of the light on this appropriately yellow-blazed trail on Saturday afternoon. It was a tonic that cured what ailed us. Whatever it was that ailed us. The sun had a been a little spotty before this, and the scrubby oaks atop the hill were mostly fallen, so coming into this batch…
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Salmagundi
An American Toad looking for a place to burrow down for winter.Le Dejeuner sur l’herbe with tiny spider.A scattering of lichen on smooth granite. Big walnuts. All seen on Old Croton Aqueduct Trail or in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, where lies Washington Irving.
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BFH Nest Down
Bald-faced hornets (Dolichovespula maculata) have been in the news recently. There seem to be a lot of their nests in Brooklyn: a bumper crop or just people noticing more of them? While some seem to think they are the Ebola of wasps, the wasps won’t bug you if you don’t bug them, or their nest.…
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Tail-less
This Am. Robin has molted away its whole tail. Don’t worry: new tail feathers will emerge, and meanwhile, flight, including in the sense of escape, is still possible. The silhouette is now a bit reminiscent of a woodpecker’s.
Backyard and Beyond 