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Nicrophorus
A carrion beeetle, also known as a sexton beetle, of the genus Nicrophorus, from the Greek for “carrier of the dead.” Found this on a mammal corpse on a path at Dead Horse Bay. The carcass was in curious state; some exposed bones were already whitened, but the main part of the body still had…
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A Bumper Buckeye Crop
There is a single old Yellow Buckeye (Aesculus flava) on the edge of the Long Meadow. I walked by on Tuesday, wondering if there might be any of the big seeds, or buckeyes, still around, or yet to fall. Well, I hit the jackpot. There were many and they had just fallen, so they were…
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Tiny Something
On the Himalaya of my finger, a small whatsit. There were hosts of these in the late autumn heat, probably the last hatch-outs of the year, getting down to business of preserving the species. Diptera? Hymenoptera? Looks waspy to me — where’s Dr. Kinsey when you need him — but I need the eyes of…
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Excavations
Evidence of Pileated Woodpecker in the Hudson Highlands. The biggest hole is 7″ tall. This kind of excavation work is standard for this crow-sized woodpecker, which has a skull designed to absorb all that pounding.
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Bold eye-ring
I’m feeling too lazy to identify this bird. I’m just enjoying it. Happens like that sometimes. Updated: voices via various other forms of communication are plugging for a Nashville warbler. I would agree.
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Now Blogging
Advertisement for myself and others: Did you know I am now blogging for JSTOR Daily, the new on-line magazine? JSTOR is a digital database, probably best known to librarians and scholars; it’s a fantastic source for full-text journal articles and books. The Daily is highlighting this incredible archive by bringing up scholarship still very much…
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Still Going Strong, But Hurry Up!
These 2-spotted ladybug larvae were still active on Thursday. Time to pupate, kids! Now, here’s something I’m not so sure about: Pupation and eggs generally seem to be set on leaves. These leaves will shortly fall to the ground, many to blow away to who knows where (into the harbor in some cases, in this…
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Skimmer Fore and Aft
Female Twelve-spotted Skimmers (Libellula pulchella) seen on Staten Island and Brooklyn.
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Troglodytes
It’s rare to spot the tiny Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis) out in the open, but this one was most obliging long enough to get a shot or two. They usually prefer damp, shady areas, underneath logs and the like. Note the long bill and what seem like largish toes, the better for poking and scratching…
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Sympetrum Meadowhawks
The red meadowhawk dragonflies are difficult to identify in the field, since several members of the genus Sympetrum look rather similar.But I figured these out because of the legs. These are Autumn Meadowhawks (Sympetrum vicinum), in some sources called Yellow-legged; other meadowhawks have black legs. They’re small: 1.3″ long. Their colors, especially the bright males,…
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Backyard and Beyond 