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.”

  • Mockingbirds

    After a winter of chasing each other and everything else, are these Mockingbirds thinking of the spring?

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    Mockingbirds
  • Kestrel Supplement

    The characteristic silhouette of a falcon… A small falcon, but one that still riles up the feral pigeons.

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    Kestrel Supplement
  • Woodpecker’s Tail

    I’m always on the lookout for the characteristic black marks on the white outer tail feathers of Downy Woodpeckers. The similar but larger Hairy Woodpecker doesn’t have black marks.

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    Woodpecker’s Tail
  • Raptor Wednesday

    Six days apart, a male and female American Kestrel atop the same building topper in Windsor Terrace. I suspect the potential of a breeding pair somewhere nearby. Forty minutes later, I was near Green-Wood’s 25th St entrance and saw a pair atop the Gothick pile: Another potentially breeding pair. The Monk Parakeets were not pleased.…

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    Raptor Wednesday
  • Tails

    Common Grackle Red-bellied Woodpecker

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    Tails
  • Mammal Monday

    I rarely see Chipmunks in Green-Wood, which may not be woody enough for them. But Prospect Park, where I saw this one on a warm day earlier this month, has a regular population.

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    Mammal Monday
  • Selasphorus rufus

    Last Sunday, what is presumed to be a Rufous Hummingbird showed up in Prospect Park. These photos are from Monday. On Tuesday there was a snow storm, but the bird got through it and has been seen since. This may be the first county record of this species, which breeds from the Northwest up into…

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    Selasphorus rufus
  • blue

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    blue
  • More Ducks

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  • Someone is Going to Eat ‘Em

    There aren’t that many birds around, so this sunflower collection is being picked off. Meanwhile, these ornamental cherry buds are just sitting there…

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