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.”

  • We’re Back!

    Nature blogging is hard work. We’ll be back to regularly scheduled narrowcasting on the ‘morrow.

    See more

  • T-Day and Counting

    I am struck by the case of the now notorious Maine wedding, whose participants took the pandemic to a rural town and killed at least seven people. None of the murdered victims were at the wedding — the insidiousness of a virus is that it spreads beyond one’s kin and ken. Long term care worker’s…

    See more

  • Happy Thanksgiving!

    Next year, we’ll get back to partying and feasting with a festive crowd. This year, we won’t help the virus spread.

    See more

  • Which Plants?

    “A small percentage of plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera” across the U.S. This new study on keystone species shows that “a small percentage of the plant lineages within a region support larval development in the vast majority of resident Lepidoptera.” “The top 5 genera were Quercus (‘Oaks’), Salix (‘Willows’), Prunus (‘Cherries, Plums, Peaches,…

    See more

  • Pandemic Notes

    Back in April, we noticed the long white trucks parked down at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. I guessed they were extra refrigerator trucks to be used as temporary morgues for the first surge of COVID-19 after similar trucks were reported at local hospitals. That proved to be correct, unfortunately. The trucks have been there…

    See more

  • Stay Tuned

    We’re having technically difficulties here at the ol’ blog factory. I think I’ve ran out of mega, or is it giga-, bytes. Again. Meaning I can’t add pictures. But, have no fear, there’s a vast backcatalog to peruse. Index to the right.

    See more

  • Late Pollination

    There is very little pollination real estate available out there now. It being past middle November and all. This dandelion flower, the only blooming flower visible, was crowded with two Margined Calligrapher flies and a Common Drone Fly the other day. *** It seems as if capitalism no longer needs democracy. China’s ample proof of…

    See more

  • Flocking Fall Birds

    Red-winged Blackbirds. Dark-eyed Juncos. Cedar Waxwings. American Goldfinches. Ok, these are mostly solo shots, but each of these birds was part of a flock…. This male Red-wing, however, was on the todd.

    See more

  • Piranga ludoviciana

    A Western Tanager has been in town for almost a week. I got to see him yesterday morning. Even more exciting, the bird called before coming out into the open! Not a call I know in these parts. The bird has been faithfully returning to these sapsucker holes in a yew. He’s picking up insects…

    See more

  • Sourwood

    Oxydendrum arboreum: the leaves are sour, hence the alternative name sorrel tree; a nice honey is made from the flowers, they say. A tree of the southeast, presumably making its way north. This one an arboretum specimen: you knew Green-Wood was also a ranked arboretum, didn’t you? *** Yet another primer on how important masking…

    See more