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.”

  • Paper Wasps

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  • By Size

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  • On The Beach

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  • American Oystercatcher

    There were a few pairs of American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus) out on the Jacob Riis and Fort Tilden beaches the other day.

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  • Breakout!

    Looks like we’ll be just to the west of hurricane Henri today unless it veers our way. Hatches are battened. Hope you’re all safe. Here’s the passing plate….

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  • Sunflower Pollen Power

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  • Got Galls?

    Phylloteras poculum, no common name, is a tiny gall wasp. They lay their eggs on a white oak leaf, and the tree responds by building this structure, which envelops the egg. The larva inside is protected from the elements, including, to a certain extent, predators, and has plant material to eat in there.

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  • SLF

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  • Raptor Wednesday

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  • Dazed

    The paralyzed prey will be dragged underground. The wasp will lay an egg on it. Once hatched, the wasp larva will have an enormous meal to eat before pupating into… an adult wasp who will emerge next year to go hunting cicadas. After yesterday’s post, a friend sent me this quote from Thoreau’s journal from…

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