mthew
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Extreme Birding
Extreme in the sense of the abilities of my camera, that is. These birds were all seen on the piers or de facto bays between the piers at Brooklyn Bridge Park.A comparison of the size difference between Ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) on the left and a Herring gull (Larus argentatus) on the right.A Red-throated Loon…
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18th Avenue Eye Candy
The D train line is one I rarely find myself on, but the elevated stations on its southern, Brooklyn end, have some intriguing glass art. Recently, I got off the train at the 18th Avenue station take a closer look. This is Bensonhurst Gardens, by Francesco Simeti. These are made of laminated glass.Stay tuned for…
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Fog-Wood
A lush fog settled over the city Saturday night. In Green-Wood, with its grand views of the harbor, Statue of Liberty, New Jersey, and lower Manhattan, there was nothing to be seen outside the confines of Brooklyn. Upon entering Green-Wood by the PPW entrance, I heard Blue Jays screaming their heads off, a good sign…
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Winter Walk
A return to Squam Swamp.While silvery gray predominates this time of year, there are other colors of note: A scrim of ice over autumn’s leftovers. Blue-green stained wood, caused by a fungus. Moss gone wild.
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Sidewalk victims
It’s Mulchfest weekend, but someone in the ‘hood thinks like I do. Ὦ ξεῖν’, ἀγγέλλειν Λακεδαιμονίοις ὅτι τῇδε κείμεθα, τοῖς κείνων ῥήμασι πειθόμενοι.
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In Greek mythology, Charon the Ferryman carried you over the river of forgetfulness to the underworld. He was supposed to be paid for his troubles. So when I heard that my father, who passed away on Wednesday, “left on the noon boat” I was struck by the metaphoric connotations. His body was being carried on…
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Fleur de sel
I run my finger along an exterior surface of the M/V Eagle (a.k.a. the “slow boat”) that crosses Nantucket Sound and pick up this residue.It’s sodium chloride and other minerals, or sea salt, dried out from the constant spray that lands on the boat as she makes her six daily crossings this time of year.…
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Glazed oysters
Water spilling off a tree stump had coated and frozen around these mushrooms, giving them a glaze. I believe they may be Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus), or another Pleurotus species. The gills make a pleasing pattern:
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Bleech!
The American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana), a.k.a. American Waterbug, and, incorrectly, as the Palmetto bug. The “American” is also a misnomer; they originated in Africa and been here since the 17th century. They are FREAKIN’ HUGE. (Sorry, my entomological sympathies are strained by the Blattodea.) 4cm or 1.5″ long. Distinguished from the smaller house invader commonly…
Backyard and Beyond 