mthew

Seems like every Mourning Dove in Green-Wood is hanging out here. A walk-through results in multiple startle-flushes. This new meadow in Green-Wood is disliked by some it because some of the plants obscure the old headstones. (This is one of the old “public lots,” with older, smaller memorials.) As is usually the case, the complainers…

First summer of a new meadow in Green-Wood. More on Thursday, after Raptor Wednesday.

Mediterranean Potter Wasp/Eumenes mediterraneus perched on a pebble gathering up a ball of dirt for a nest. And the source of this dirt? An Eastern Cicada-killer Wasp Sphecius speciosus nest I’d first noticed 9 days earlier.

A return visit to a local patch of dirt. Here’s one of two Pseudomethoca frigida velvet ants seen. These are actually wasps: the females are wingless and race around on the ground. They are endoparasites, laying their eggs inside ground-nesting bee nests. That is, if they can get in. Here, two Lasioglossum genus bees wrestle…

Pallidefulva-group Field Ant/Complex Formica pallidefulva carting along the forewing of an Apantesis tiger moth.

Crawling all over this large Berkeley’s Polypore? Spotted Diaperis/Diaperis maculata A very pleasing beetle on fungus, yet not a Pleasing Fungus Beetle, Family Erotylidae, but rather a Darkling beetle, Family Tenebrionidae. And since we’re at this mushroom… A fast moving Ectemnius wasp. May have been hunting for flies.

Xerocomellus truncatus Green-spored Parasol/Chlorophyllum molybdites (largest of these 6″ across) Berkeley’s Polypore/Bondarzewia berkeley at base of Willow Oak/Quercus phellos. Largest of these is 24″ across. This one was quite busy (a cliffhanger…).

A bolt of lightning absolutely exploded the top off this American Kestrel perch in Green-Wood Cemetery last month. Here’s a remembrance of perches past: (The lightning rod seems fine, if off-kilter, now.) And a special guest star appearance by a Red-tailed Hawk: News: I’m doing another Green-Wood Cemetery members-only insect walk on Sunday, if you’re…

Two weekends ago, I took a long walk in Brooklyn and saw a huge number of Pantala dragonflies in Green-Wood, Prospect Park, and Brooklyn Botanic Garden. These rain pool gliders spend a lot of time in the air, so it’s hard to document them. But I did manage to capture images of two perching Spot-winged/P.…