Big poops on a Common Milkweed leaf underneath a seriously chewed-back leaf? That’s a sign! Ah… not on the Milkweed, but down in the grasses, perhaps in retreat from all the rain. Two days later at the same patch, more eaten leaves, more poop. And ah-hah again! Was this the same individual? Maybe, but as…

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One. Two. Three, or just another view of No. 2? I’m not sure; this tree was rather thickly leaved.

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At least one more Northern Mockingbird.

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Dogbane Leaf Beetle/Chrysochus auratus is one of the most spectacular beetles found in our parts. Their specific epithet means golden, but as you can see they’re something of an iridescent rainbow. Their common name comes from their association with Hemp Dogbane/Apocynum cannabinum. I found my first beetles of this species last year in a patch…

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The Staten Island Ferry passes this octagonal sewer outfall structure (circa 1915) near Robbins Reef Lighthouse. The other day… … you can see why I did a double-take. A mature Bald Eagle was perched upon it. (Yes, that’s a golf course on the Bayonne Peninsula beyond.) From another angle.

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I hang around Common Milkweed a lot. So do a lot of other things waiting in ambush, like European Earwigs/Forficula auricularia. This looks like a male/female pair.

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Beneath a Common Milkweed leaf, a crab spider has caught a honeybee and is in the process of digesting it from the inside. But note who else is along for the ride. There’s a tiny fly on the underside of the bee’s wing. With that bold M(W) on the head, it looks like a Desmometopa…

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