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Garters
Does this snake have a head at both ends?Eastern Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis).And another. Great Swamp NWR. I wanted to turn these into Ribbon Snakes. They were, after all, on tiny islands in the swamp. But look at the black marks on the sides of their faces. Ribbon Snakes, which are in the same…
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Some Kestrel Notes
I’ve previously stated that, like raptors in general, American Kestrels have sexual dimorphism: the female is larger. But the difference is slight for these small falcons, and the literature says that there can be some overlap. The male of a pair can sometimes be larger. Over the last three months, the #BrooklynKestrels have sometimes appeared…
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Eating
Buds.Muffin wrapper tidbits?Pineapple? It was hard as a brick whatever it was, but this didn’t stop several gulls from fighting over it. Actually, I’m not sure it was at all edible. I wonder if this was a small echo of our great ocean disaster: floating plastic picks up dimethyl sulfide and so smells like…
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Snowbirds
After our last snowfall, we noticed something for the first time.Where, after all, are birds that normally forage on the ground going to go when the snow covers everything?These Juncoes were feeding on a tree-limb garden.
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Raptor Wednesday
An omnibus of distant Peregrines.Downtown Brooklyn. Foley Square/Municipal Building/Police Plaza.55 Water Street. Pairs in downtown Brooklyn, Foley Square, 55 Water Street, and the Industry City smokestack. The latter are no longer seen with any regularity, presumably because they are now nesting like the 55s.
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More Songs of Spring
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus). You can’t hear anything (so get yourself outside), but look at that throat moving! Also note that he has a bit of breaking bloom in his mouth: can sing with his beak full. Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) singing in a cherry. Except when I took pictures…The built-in microphone is a paltry…
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Also, They’re Here!
What is a little snow in the long run? Waves of migratory birds are washing upon our shores. This weekend, little flocks of Golden-crowned Kinglets, chortling Northern Flickers, tail-snapping Phoebes who make you wonder what they’re catching, but then, the early insects are out, too. And the warblers:Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus). Yes, they can be a…
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Frog Songs
There were several species of frogs sounding off during the middle of the day yesterday at Great Swamp NWR. It was a… chorus… of several species. Lots of sounds I’ve never heard before. This one was the only amphibian actually seen out of the water; I’ve yet to find one of the peepers or chorus…
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Skunk Cabbage
The holy grail of early spring.Symplocarpus foetidus, skunk cabbage, seen today in Great Swamp NWR. The only one we saw… but it’s subtle, and the place was ringing with the very distracting orgiastic songs of frogs. More on this curious little heat engine. April 1st or 2nd? Two years ago.
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Backyard and Beyond 