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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  • Sparrow Ice-cream

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  • Jumping Spider

    A fabulous jumping spider, identity to be determined, seen this weekend.

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  • Dang, I Love These Things

    Readers are welcome to support this blog, mostly the cost of hosting via big bad WordPress, on the donations page.

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  • Bombus fervidus

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  • Hosting

    A black willow (Salix nigra) leaf knocked down in one of our recent deluges. Is this discoloration caused by fungal or bacterial agents?

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  • Mud Daubed

    On July 18, I found it sealed off. It is presumably stuffed with paralyzed spiders and a wasp egg. Or two: a kleptoparasite may have gotten in there. As is often the case with these scales, I didn’t notice the webbing and small spider, much smaller than the type hunted by these wasps, until I…

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  • Raptor Wednesday

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  • Mushroom Madness

    All the rain we’ve been having has resulted in a host of fungal fruiting-bodies. The enormous ones above (my boot is a literal foot, 12″ long) have been IDed as Green-spored Parasol (Chlorophyllum molybdites). Also known as the “vomiter.” Don’t eat. Another enormous specimen. A bolete this time. The pen is 3.75″ or 9.5cm long.The next…

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  • Monday Moth

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