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Seen on recent saunters
Beech nuts and the pods they come in on. At another beech tree, this time a stump, some funky fungus.I like the way one of these “organ pipe” mud-dauber-wasp nests follows the arch here. It will be some months before we see the trees this leafy again.
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Mantid
Chinese Mantid, Tenodera aridifolia, on Elvira’s window. Easily four inches long. This is a late summer classic, at least since 1896, when these Asian natives were first introduced into North America. There have been many introductions since, as these all-purpose predators will eat anything they can get their “preying” hands on; of course, that also…
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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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Backyard and Beyond 