mthew

Eastern Ten Caterpillar Moth/Malacosoma americana

Three days after seeing three nestling American Kestrels in their nest cavity, I spotted the male parent devouring a bird atop the main entrance to Green-Wood. A Mockingbird was diving at him and the resident Monk Parakeets were clamoring. The little falcon flew off with the remains of the prey and I followed… toward the…

Well, tidal salt-marsh flats. Starting tomorrow, Backyard & Beyond posts will be every other day, more or less.

New to me, that is. Let’s start with this one, barely more than a silhouette. Still, those interesting antennae and orangish palps make this a Little Devil Moth/Dichomeris nonstrigella. So far the only iNaturalist observation of the species in NYC/Long Island. Ash Bullet Gall Midge/Dasineura pellex. Spilodiscus arcuatus. A resident of dunes, which surprised me…

Pyromorpha dimidiata pair.

At least three American Kestrel babies in here. This represents a lot of lizards.

Osprey do like to check out Valley Water in Green-Wood. American Kestrel update: this female had just flown something edible towards the nest but didn’t enter it. She returned from over the building, so I wondered if there was a fledgling up there somewhere. Soon afterwards, I saw the male with what might have been…

Yum! Fledgling Common Grackle agrees. Elsewhere and about a week earlier: a fresh Northern Mockingbird about a foot from the nest. And another N. Mockingbird nest.

Two Eastern Chipmunks/Tamias striatus in Prospect Park yesterday. Although only a few blocks separate Prospect and Green-Wood Cemetery, there are rarely any Chipmunk sightings in the latter. Not enough woods, if you ask me.