From Gerard Manley Hopkins’ feverish poem, we know that “Windhover” is an old name for the Common Kestrel/Falco tinnunculus because of their characteristic tendency to hover. Above is one hovering over the Nothumberland Coast Path. American Kestrels/Falco sparverius do this as well, although perhaps not as much. Here’s another Common K, from Falsterbo, Sweden. The…

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A couple late October Eastern Carpenter Bees/Xylocopa virginica.

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Deleting some photographs from my phone and finding a few miscellaneous delights that never made it to B&B. Poppy fruit above. (Sweet dreams…?) This stone door of a mausoleum is wearing poorly. Cutting the shrubs to make room for new plantings along 4th Avenue. An unripened conker from Bottlebrush Buckeye/Aesculus parviflora. B&W American Lady/Vanessa virginiensis.…

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In summer, I can barely schedule Raptor Wednesdays because I don’t see all that many raptors. In fall and winter, I have a surplus. Welcome to Excess Kestrel Friday!

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In late summer, I often see a European Hornets/Vespa crabro or two cruising around the pollinators. Last week, on two different days, I saw many more. In both cases, the wasps were flying around beech trees. They were hard to count and impossible to photograph in the air, but I would say maybe two dozen…

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You can still vote for an official NYC wildflower here.

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A male, on October 19, in Janet’s Wildflower Meadow in Green-Wood

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