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.”

  • Twig Hunting

    The Green Heron really wanted this curved twig. It could not break it off. Meanwhile. Literally, at the same time, another Green Heron was further up in the woods. This one was successful, snapping off a twig and then flying it back to the nest site. The first heron flew back as well, but without…

    See more

  • Brood X: A Spectacular Spectacle

    Brood X is nearing the end of its absolute reign upon the regions graced with it. The tiny larvae are probably already dropping out of their twig nests and burrowing into the earth. They will emerge in 2038. What will be the state of the planet then? 2024 is the next periodical cicada year: the…

    See more

  • Batty

    First of these I’ve seen. Eastern Red Bats are more typical here in Brooklyn. Several other species of bat have been identified by their distinctive sounds as they fly over Green-Wood.

    See more

    ,

  • Orioles

    Baltimore Orioles have nested in this linden tree for at least two previous breeding seasons. Do they ever recycle their old nests? Or the materials contained in them? There’s a lot of human-made material incorporated in their woven bag nests, including ribbon (many bunches of flowers in a cemetery…) and string. This stuff doesn’t break…

    See more

  • New Wasp

    Another Vespula ground yellowjacket species in the ‘hood! Southern Yellowjacket, Vespula squamosa. This is a queen. She was probably looking for a nice hole at the base of this old cherry to start a nest. This is the first report for this species in Brooklyn on iNaturalist; they’re recorded on Staten Island, Manhattan, and further out…

    See more

  • Raptor Wednesday

    See more

  • Recent Pollination Events

    See more

  • Two-Spotted Lady Beetles

    Only the last of these has two spots, but Adalia bipunctata also comes in a black-with-four-red-markings form.

    See more

  • Click Here

    At first, I thought this nearly two-inch-long Eastern Eyed Click Beetle crawling up a London plane tree was actually two beetles. This is a lot of beetle. I’ve seen Alaus oculatus before, but I have never gotten such a close view. The larvae of this species preys on other beetle larvae found in decaying wood. The…

    See more

  • New Fish Crow

    There has been a lot of Fish Crow activity in the neighborhood for weeks now. I hear them all the time. Yesterday, this Eastern Kingbird wasn’t too happy about it. Well, well, well! A wing-flapping fledgling being fed. I don’t know where the nest is, but it must not be too far away.

    See more