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.”

  • Lurking in Plain Sight

    Harvestmen or Daddy-longegs (Opiliones).

    See more

    , ,

  • More Crow

    Fish Crow, Corvus ossifragus.

    See more

    , ,

  • My Thoreau

    Originally posted on Backyard and Beyond: Reading Henry David Thoreau’s Journal is one of my regular practices. The NYRB condensation of the massive work is my go-to edition: I’ve written about it previously. I find something of value on every page. And, as a whole, this blog, in case you haven’t noticed, has pretensions towards…

    See more

  • Damsel

    Actually, it’s the tiny fly (?) this male Orange Bluet (Enallagma signatum) has just devoured who was the subject in distress. You can see a tiny-wing leftover.

    See more

    , , ,

  • Red-winged Blackbird

    Agelaius phoeniceus.

    See more

    , ,

  • Stag Beetle

    A Common or Reddish-Brown Stag Beetle (Lucanus capreolus) male who didn’t make it. Found on the sidewalk next to Prospect Park. This specimen is about an inch long. Inhabitants of parks, suburbs, and hardwood forests, they’re mostly nocturnal. They feed on sap; those pincer-like mandibles are used to battle other males for territory. Dudes. A wonderful…

    See more

    , , , ,

  • Fledgling

    Here’s a variation on a common sight: a young Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura). Note how much darker it is than an adult. You might almost want to make it another species, although there aren’t really any other options on this end of the country.

    See more

    , ,

  • Out of the Sun

    A Raccoon (Procyon lotor) was sprawled out on the second story fire-escape of my building’s inner courtyard yesterday. The critter probably found the shade most welcome on a hot day. It’s no tree cavity out there, true, but real estate is a bear in this borough. The animal was snoozing, as they are wont to…

    See more

    , ,

  • Flickering

    We’ve been lucky enough to catch the changing of the guard at this Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) nest a couple of times. Parent flies to hole, perching outside. Other parent bird flies out. First parent scoots in hole.That black mark, the malar, on the cheek means this is the male. He spends a minute looking…

    See more

    , ,

  • Nessus Sphinx

    Perching covertly: Nessus Sphinx (Amphion floridness). When I first saw it, my thought was Cicada Killer Wasp. The Peterson guide says this day-flying moth is common throughout its range — the northeast to Virginia, across the midwest — but I think this is the first I’ve seen it.

    See more

    , , ,