Fieldnotes
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Raptor Wednesday
Four American Kestrels have been lately been spotted at the same time in the neighborhood. They’re hard to count, though, since they move from pillar to post and then out of sight with great frequency. On July 2nd, I was in Green-Wood and ran into three females and one male. Again, this is a tentative…
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Monarch Eggs
Monarch butterfly laying an egg on an emergent common milkweed leaf on Sunday in Green-Wood. This little plant is an outlier from the patch here, in danger of being mown or “weeded,” alas. I also watched her deposit eggs on two much taller, already flowering, plants that were part of the official patch. Closer up,…
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Mammal Monday
Eastern Chipmunks (Tamias striatus) are few and far between in Green-Wood. I see them there rarely, but the other day a wren-brown spot in the distance, which I thought might, in fact, be a wren, turned out to be this one. There are rather more Chimpmunks in Prospect Park. The closest these two green islands…
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Recent Sightings
Tiny turtle, duckweed. More duckweed, as a landing platform for a queen Eastern Yellowjacket. Robber fly. This was unexpected: a blue budgie on the loose. Hedgehog Gall Wasp and Quercus. Stained glass. More stained glass. Even more.
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Ground-nesting
The majority of our wild bees — as opposed to honeybee farm animals — are ground-nesters. Here’s one in the ground between some hex pavers. She wouldn’t emerge as I stood there. Nobody really likes paparazzi. Some wasps are ground-nesters too. This one was excavating with seemingly no concern for my presence. Anacrabro ocellatus, I…
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Wasps and Caterpillars
This Euodynerus hidalgo wasp was digging into this old rudbeckia (or maybe it’s a coreopsis). For almost nine minutes. This European Tube Wasp (Ancistrocerus gazella) seemed interested. Ah-hah! Caterpillar! From deep inside the flower. I think it’s Homoeosoma genus. The Tube Wasp did not steal this prize. The wasp flew her prey off to her…
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Raptor Wednesday
On Sunday morning, there were five American Kestrels on and off the solar building, which is about one-third of the way down the block from here. Two males, three females. In this pic, there’s a male on the left. There are two females on the chimney, and another female on the far right pipe. On…
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Squash Vine Borer Moth
Wow! Nectaring on common milkweed, this moth is just a little bigger than a Western Honeybee. Have you ever seen one? I never had until Friday. You might know them from your zucchinis. The caterpillars of Melitta curcurbitae love to eat summer and winter squashes, but if this is your reward, perhaps a little homage…
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Raven
With inner eyelid close, the eyes of this young Raven look blue. In addition to being harried by a Northern Mockingbird, the Raven was also hassled by this male Baltimore Oriole, who let up a non-stop calling. When the Raven finally flew away, the Oriole followed. And was joined by a female Oriole. They both…
Backyard and Beyond 