After being blown apart by lightning in the summer of ’23, the historic chapel in Green-Wood has a new cross on top. The local American Kestrels did not linger in taking command of it. Not so far away is this ailing Horse-chestnut, which this male has really taken to. A few days earlier, he was…

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This male was foraging last Tuesday. He was the only Monarch sighting during the week.

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Coreopsis is still in bloom, so bees are still foraging on it. But there are other things going on as well: This Hidalgo Mason Wasp/Euodynerus hidalgo was busy excavating a flowerhead for a caterpillar. This tiny Eurytoma genus Chalcidoid wasp was on the prowl, presumably in search of whatever insect she parasitizes. Another small parasitic…

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Passiflora incarnata. Two different plants. One was still flowering, while the other was already set with fruit.

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You’ve heard of Shark Week. Maybe you’ve heard of Fat Bear Week. Well, I just declared this Wet Bumblebee Week.

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Same day as yesterday’s youngster(s). Maybe the same bird. Eating an Eastern Grey Squirrel. Which takes a long time. Raptors usually pluck fairly small pieces off their meal. But they can also choke down a whole limb…

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Not like I don’t have more fresh Kestrel content, but this year’s Red-tails have been making their presence known lately. This one was pretty close to me and even closer to other people. They don’t make ’em shy in Brooklyn. I’m not sure if this is the same bird or not. One of these primaries…

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A pair of mantises. I think they’re thinking about mating. Male below, female above. But, um, there’s a problem here. These are actually two different species. The female is a European Mantis/Mantis religiosa; identified by the white oval spot surround by black on the upper forelimbs. The male is a Chinese Mantis/Tenodera sinensis; not as…

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Big caterpillar, big eater: lotta frass. And another the same day.

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