Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

  • Raptor Wednesday

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  • Big Bluet

    I’ve been meaning to look for these around Jamaica Bay for years. Hadn’t gotten around to it. But last week as I was walking down 37th Street towards Fort Hamilton Avenue, I paused at a tree pit filled with various spontaneous plants. This caught my eye. It didn’t look familiar. Once back among my resources,…

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  • Patches

    Saving the most unexpected find for tomorrow…

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  • Takes All Sorts

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  • 1.5″ Moth

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  • Win Some…

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  • Mud Wasps

    Three out of four of these Potter and Mason Wasps (Subfamily Eumeninae) don’t have common names, suggesting they are sadly under-known. The one that does is an introduced species that’s been in North America for at least 60 years. Potter wasps build free-standing nests out of mud. Mason wasps use mud to line and seal wooden…

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  • Raptor Wednesday

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  • Clapper Rail

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  • Monarchy Monday

    Double-plus platinum jubilee edition….

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