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.”

  • This Anti-fascist Blog

    is taking part in today’s boycott. For more information, see here or here.

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  • Ice Windows

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    Ice Windows
  • Raptor Wednesday

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  • Leftover Pod

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  • Winter Scenes

    Spring is on the wing if not yet the wind. The rustle of fall is still heard.

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    Winter Scenes
  • Hawk & Stick

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    Hawk & Stick
  • Hooded Crests

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    Hooded Crests
  • Kestrel

    Sometimes the Kestrel on the chimney pot stays there long enough for me to get out of the house and around the corner for a closer view, with less chimney heatwaves:

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    Kestrel
  • Loon Reflections

    Gentle ripples on Gravesend Bay reflect the business end of a passing Red-throated Loon.

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    Loon Reflections
  • Raptor Wednesday

    Trying a few branches…. This is something I’ve learned from observation: the wood they collect for nests is not off the ground, which is perhaps too suspect, but snapped from trees. This adult Red-tailed Hawk was right overhead in a couple of the London Planes lining 5th Avenue at the edge of Sunset Park.

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    Raptor Wednesday