Various stages of Velvet Foot (Flammulina velutipes) on a toppled big tree. Ceramic Parchment (Xylobolus frustulatus): aptly named, these were very hard. Lion’s-mane (Hericium erinaceus) on a street tree Pin Oak.

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American Hoverfly, Complex Eupeodes americanus, all lit up with pollen. Impressive for December 9th. About the only thing I’m aware of with yellow pollen this month is Dandelion (Taraxacum). Same day. Schroederella iners, perhaps. Nearby, another type of dung fly. This was a sunny day, temps in the mid 40s, no wind. Dec 8. Unknown fly,…

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American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) is sometimes confused for its genetically crossed sibling, London Plane (Platanus × hispanica), which is all over the city, on streets and in parks. In fact, finding an American Sycamore is a good challenge. London Plane in typical habitat, a park, for comparison. The bark situation stands out. Am Syc are…

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Always a little disconcerting to photograph these mistimed blooms with my gloves on.

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There’s usually a flotilla of Ruddy Ducks (Oxyura jamaicensis) on Prospect Park Lake this time of year. This female was hanging out solo on Sylvan Water in Green-Wood for at least five days when I took these pictures. (Beaten gold effect via reflection of nearby Norway Maples.)

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Or, the bud of a Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera). Another good, that is, readily legible, tree species for leaf scar study

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Coopers. Avian excretion explained. The view from the Brooklyn Raptor Observatory yesterday as a fire in a police warehouse in Red Hook billowed up into an airborne toxic event. The evil-smelling smoke and big pieces of ash flitting through the air did not deter four raptors. 1) a passing Coopers Hawk raised up all the…

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A ring of samaras make up the open fruit clusters of Liriodendron tulipifera. There is a seed at the base. This stiff little wings whirligig down to earth, if… …they’re not intercepted first. Actually, since this Tufted Titmouse is in a pine, the samara was probably already on the ground. Anyway, once the bird was…

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A nice comparison of female (above) and male (below) Red-bellied Woodpecker visiting the feeder. The female chased off a Blue Jay on the feeder, but the male was reluctant to get on the feeder itself. When the light is right, these eyes are rather spectacular. Bonus: about to lose a feather… FYI: I gave permission…

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What, more upside-down Black-capped Chickadee hanging existentially on it’s own food? Yup! This is a dried-up crab apple. And I think the bird is extracting flesh from it. Looks larval. Not that a well-balanced diet isn’t being strived for. Looks like old apple in this mouthful as well. I like the detail of the mess…

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