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Paper Wasp
A paper wasp of the genus Polistes builds her nest. At first, I assumed this was a yellowjacket, also a member of the vespid wasp family, but further research reveals that the yellowjackets build underground nests. There is a European paper wasp, P. diminula, now found in North America, as well as numerous native species.…
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Mud snail
A marine mud snail, found along the littoral of the city in great bunches. Dead Horse Bay has thickets of them. This one was from Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge; the beach there is normally closed but we went down to the water with a couple of the cutest rangers ever seen in a national park,…
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Blue Jays
Cyanocitta cristata, the blue jay, one of the most common, most colorful, most aggressive, and loudest birds found east of the Rockies. And, evidently, they’ll eat just about anything. This one is going for the cat kibble. It doesn’t like me lounging on the porch, but it sneaks in anyway. This one, meanwhile, has cached…
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In the Valley Water
The Valley Water is one of four water bodies in Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery. It is the closest to the 5th Avenue entrance and a regular stop on our excursions through the place. We stopped by over this last weekend. The joint was jumping: bull frogs, green frogs, and a smaller species, with plenty of big…
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More snails
I found this little specimen in North Andover, MA. I think it’s Oxyloma retusum, the blunt ambersnail. This is a fairly similar animal, but I’m not sure it’s the same species since the shell is not glossy or amber. What do you think? I found this one on Nantucket, MA. Is that snail turd there?…
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Poppy pollen
Another look at the California poppy now flowering out back. I became enamored of the wild versions of these north of the SF Bay several years ago. It’s the state flower out there.
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In the Back 40 Now
If you are new to this blog, the Back 40 (inches) is my small concrete backyard. From the top, left to right, we have California poppy, which came from seed; one of several ant condos, which came on their own; sunflower, self-seeded from last year; a volunteer aster of some kind, perhaps bushy; and marigold,…
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Apis
Worker honey bee, Apis mellifera, at forage. All worker bees are female. Note the grey pollen all over the body, especially on the thorax. This big clump of showy flowers was positively vibrating with both honey and bumble bees. Anybody know these flowers? I’m guessing the mottled pattern inside the flowers looks pretty intense to…
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Spiders
Spiders are one of the mainstays of life in my Brooklyn backyard, which I persist in calling the Back 40 (inches). The following samples, however, were photographed in Massachusetts recently. There are some 3400 spider species in North America north of Mexico. Some are web builders, making the classic orb web; some make sheetwebs. Some…
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Spotted on Governor’s
You can put a lady bug/lady beetle in the freezer for a couple of minutes (no more than 6) to slow it down for photography, but when you’re in the field that’s not much of an option. Especially since I’m not collecting. I found this one on Governor’s Island on Sunday. It was in the…
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Backyard and Beyond 