Fieldnotes
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Skippers
In my listing of NYC butterflies, I noted that the skippers are hard to identify. These little butterflies in the Hesperiidae family are mostly small, orangish to tawny brown, and have a tendency to look like jet planes when perched.This male Sachem (Atalopedes campestris)–identification tentative–assumes the position: hindwings and forewings are separately opened at different…
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Vane
This large wind vane on a building on Hanson Place and South Elliot is one of the delights of downtown Brooklyn. It is a sight rapidly being overshadowed by the generic glass towers rising rising around the neighborhood, which make the borough look like Anywheresville. Three things: 1. This actually does move, which, for a…
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Trio of Dragonflies
12-spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella) male. Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia) male. Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) male. What’s up with all the males? They’re patrolling territory, in this case the ponds of Green-Wood, while females generally only show up to these sites when they want to mate. Otherwise the females are over the fields and meadows, at…
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Brooklyn Long-horns
This black bee was a real brawler, tackling each flower like a linebacker, rolling up and over the flower parts until it was upside-down. Note the long opera-glove-like sleeves of pollen on the hind legs. These legs have more hair than the other two sets, and these pollen packs are rather larger than you see…
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Sassafras
Sassafras albidum drupe on its pedicel. Such sassy colors! This should be eaten by a bird, the single seed within spread elsewhere, hopefully to germinate into one of these lovely three-leaf-type trees. This wonderfully aromatic plant–from the roots to the leaves–was long used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes. It was also one of the…
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Sunset Park Elm
An overcast view of the great elm during this week’s sweltering heat. The leaves are dark, dark green now. That’s the gilded city of Oz to the distant right. (Don’t forget you can click on these images to get larger versions.)
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More Beetlemania
This tiny beetle is Sehirus cinctus, the White-margined Burrowing Beetle. 4-6.5mm long. There were several on the very hairy leaves of what looks like Stachys something or other. Adult females of this species care for their young, which is fairly unusual in the insect world. Plenty of insects provision their young, but most aren’t around…
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Common Terns
The southern end of Prince/ss Bay* ends at a fresh water stream just before the aptly named Red Bank. This gravel beach is the backdrop for these Common Terns (Sterna hirundo). The eroded terminal moraine provides nice camouflage, at least for the above bird’s bill.Youngster demanding food. Constantly. Some of the adults were bringing freshly…
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Mammal Eyes
A young Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) in Green-Wood. You have to watch out for these: once, one started climbing up my leg, looking for a parent.Winter’s coming! (As hard as it is to imagine.) So there’s no time for paternity suits at the NYBG. Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus).
Backyard and Beyond 