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On Politics
I’m fascinated by the Republican-fascist rhetoric that attempts to paint Joe Biden, a loyal representative of corporate America over decades of service in the Senate, as a “Marxist” puppet and tool of “dark forces” like George Soros, a favored target of anti-Semitic conspiracy-thinking. (If “thinking” isn’t too strong a word.) As a person of the…
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More Galls
This is Andricus capillatus, a Cynipidae gall wasp like all these specimens today, on a white oak. Round Bullet Gall (Disholcaspis quercusglobulus), on the same white oak. This magnificent specimen of a tree is on a slope, with one branch sweeping down below eye-level, which is essential when searching for these things. Here’s another Round…
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Exuviae
The shed exoskeleton of a nymph dragonfly. I suspect this is Common Green Darner. Nearly 50% smaller, and more commonly found by your correspondent, this could be Amberwing or Blue Dasher, our two most common dragonflies. Both damselflies and dragonflies begin their lives in the water before emerging into the air and breaking out of…
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Back to the Galls
The hickories and their Caryomia genus midges continue to catch my eye. I’ve now spotted eleven species in Green-Wood, mostly on pignut (Carya glabra). Here’s my first report on this phenomenon. Above is Hickory Peach-haired Gall Midge (Caryomyia persicoides) according to my gall sensei on iNaturalist. Some species are obvious, others like this one need…
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Raptor Wednesday
Male and female American Kestrels calling, hovering, and diving towards a tree in the distance. Worth a detour. Sure enough, they had reason to be upset. This Cooper’s Hawk is the first I’ve seen in months. While a regular sighting during the off-breeding months, not many Cooper’s nest here in the city. (For the last…
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Twofers and More
European Paperwasp and Two-spotted Scoliid Wasp. Clouded Sulphur (or is there some orange in there?) and something something skipper. Another skipper, in the background, along with an Common Eastern Bumblebee and a striped sweat bee. Monarch and more Common Eastern BBs. Two species of metallic sweat bees. Monarch and skipper. From the top clockwise: European…
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Mushroom Monday
Common Bird’s Nest Fungi (Crucibulum laeve), sometimes also known as White Egg Bird’s Nest fungi. The English muffin form (upper left above) is the early stage. Not sure how it loses its top, but then the “nest” is exposed with the “eggs” or fruiting bodies, as in the lower right. These were growing on what…
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VLS
Very Large Snapper: Green-Wood has a few of them. In general, they stay in the murk of three of the four ponds. The forth has lately been drained to just a few inches of water. This one must be a female, ashore to lay eggs. Where the devil is she doing that? Once I passed…
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Damsels in Distress?
It’s been a terrible year for damselflies in my patch. Since March, I’ve spent 99% of my outdoor time in Green-Wood, where daily damselfly counts can be measured on one hand, a lot less than in previous summers. Rambur’s Forktail male above. Orange Bluet male. Fragile Forktail male and female. Familiar Bluet male and female.…
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Fall Migration in Play
Lost count of the mosquito bites I got waiting for this Chestnut-sided Warbler to appear within a magnolia. Blue-winged Warbler. Canada Warbler. Focus is unnecessary for American Redstarts. Cape May Warbler. The early migratory “eh-eh-eh” of Red-breasted Nuthatches ravaging our conifers is very welcome. Yellow Warbler making some noise, too. Just enough to tell this…
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