Shortly after checking into our hotel in Oberlin, Ohio earlier this week, I glanced out the window and saw a hawk descending between the hotel’s other wing and a neighboring building. Then I spotted it atop the roof. I hustled outside for the best views of an adult Red-shouldered Hawk I’ve ever had. It was…

See more

A ready distinction between dragonflies and damselflies is that dragonflies perch with wings open and spread out while damselflies perch with their wings closed, parallel to their abdomen. That’s most damselflies. The regional exceptions: the Lestidae family spreadwings, and one of the pond damselflies, the Aurora/Chromagrion conditum. This is one of the former, a Lestes…

See more

Around the turn of the new year, we went to Staten Island over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. I saw a Peregrine perched on the Brooklyn-side cables. Hey! So I’ve been looking since. Photos from June 4th. There is no mistaking that shouldery profile. As it happens, banding the bridge’s three Peregrine babies this year made a…

See more

Alectoris chukar is native to Asia but has been introduced as a game bird elsewhere. They turn up on NYC streets every once and a while, presumably escapees of live poultry markets. This one was right across the street in the ramp up into the park. I suppose they taste like… partridge?

See more

As I approached this dead tern on Plump Beach, I saw something retreat into this hole. The crab within, Ocypode quadrata, would not emerge while I was there. Some yards away were several more holes, but no scavenger’s bonanza beside any of them. (Subscribers seem to have received this post early as a result of…

See more

Eastern Ten Caterpillar Moth/Malacosoma americana

See more

Three days after seeing three nestling American Kestrels in their nest cavity, I spotted the male parent devouring a bird atop the main entrance to Green-Wood. A Mockingbird was diving at him and the resident Monk Parakeets were clamoring. The little falcon flew off with the remains of the prey and I followed… toward the…

See more

Well, tidal salt-marsh flats. Starting tomorrow, Backyard & Beyond posts will be every other day, more or less.

See more

New to me, that is. Let’s start with this one, barely more than a silhouette. Still, those interesting antennae and orangish palps make this a Little Devil Moth/Dichomeris nonstrigella. So far the only iNaturalist observation of the species in NYC/Long Island. Ash Bullet Gall Midge/Dasineura pellex. Spilodiscus arcuatus. A resident of dunes, which surprised me…

See more

Pyromorpha dimidiata pair.

See more