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.”

  • Crow Food

    From far off, I thought this American Crow might have an egg, which seemed off for December. Now it looks like something else entirely, but what?

    See more

    Crow Food

  • Dangler

    A Baltimore Oriole nest in a linden tree. It was out in the open now that all the leaves have fallen, but I walked by it several dozen times since last spring without noticing it. A couple of days later, after a lot of rain and wind, the nest was on the ground. Here in…

    See more

    Dangler

  • Raptor Wednesday

    Only the second time I’ve come across a Merlin eating. The meal is bird, and, minus most feathers, everything gets swallowed, even the feet.

    See more

    Raptor Wednesday

  • E.G.S

    Squirrels in some city parks will come right up to you for food, but Green-Wood’s Eastern Grays are quite cautious. After all, you could be a Red-tailed Hawk. This one was planning the next move… that right front paw may have been in bad shape. This one was gnawing away on hickory nuts. Green-Wood has…

    See more

  • Raptor Week

    See more

  • Raptor Week: Twas the Night Before Kestrelmas

    See more

  • Raptor Week

    A trio of Feral Pigeons, thirty-five (35!) Mourning Doves, and, in the upper right corner, a young Red-tailed Hawk. Everybody bolted when this big lug descended. No breakfast this time.

    See more

  • Raptor Week: More Coop

    Happy holidays, everybody! I can’t access my own posts on a couple different browsers/computers and I don’t know what the issue is. Judging from comments, subscribers seem to be getting emails with the daily raptors lately…but meanwhile, my statistics are jumping with visitors looking, or attempting to look at numerous pages when they come to…

    See more

  • Raptor Week: They Won’t Be “Coopers” Next Christmas

    The russet front tells you this is an adult of several years’ age. Here’s one in juvenile plumage, all riled up because of, I presume, a bath.

    See more

  • Raptor Week: Distant Views

    (Two different Accipiters and a Merlin on the same school communications array.)

    See more