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.”

  • The Lizards

    The Northern Italian Wall Lizards seem to be doing well. I counted eight the other day, including the one in the series of photos below, peeking out of a crevice in a pyramidal mausoleum. Thank you to all the contributors to my keep-this-blog-afloat appeal!

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  • It’s Definitely Insect Season Again

    The weather has been fluctuating. Days in the 50s aren’t very bug friendly, but once we start hitting the sunny 60s, they emerge. Did you know you can help maintain the cost of keeping this blog going?

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  • Pollinators

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  • Rusty

    Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus). This is, or better say was, a common species, but the birds have “undergone one of the sharpest and most mystifying recent declines of any North American songbird.” Here’s more information from the Rusty Blackbird Working Group. I reported this sighting on eBird. This male, forging on the edge of Green-Wood’s…

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  • Raptor Wednesday

    Backyard and Beyond is now accepting donations! If costs several hundred dollars a year to maintain this site, so I’ve put up a donations and tip “jar” feature for anyone who would like to help defray the tab. Thank you for your consideration and attention!

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  • More Mammal

    Yes, two. Grazing on the grass. Wrestling. Running at the sound of approaching cars, but fairly blasé about bipeds nearby. Donations.

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  • Mammal Monday

    Uh-oh. Trouble. This Red-tailed Hawk cached the remains (Gray Squirrel, I think) in this Atlas cedar. I saw the bird fly in empty-taloned, clamber up a limb, and only then start in on the retrieved leftovers. Backyard and Beyond is now accepting donations! If costs several hundred dollars a year to maintain this site, so…

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  • More Birds

    Lots of little Golden-crowned Kinglets. A single Palm Warbler. The first warbler I’ve seen this spring. And here’s my second. Pine Warbler. Pair or Ring-necked Ducks. Competitive nesting. Not exactly camouflage.

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  • Back To The Birds

    This Eastern Phoebe had just eaten a cellophane bee. This male Red-bellied Woodpecker would not stop chortling about the nesting hole he’d made. Ah, well, when you’re a Carolina Wren, you just chortle, don’t you? A trio of Tree Swallows and a Barn Swallow. Temperatures were below freezing yesterday. And the swallows seemed very chill.

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  • Currently

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