Brooklyn
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November Camellia
Following in the blogsteps of my neighbor, the 66 Square Footer, I walked by the confused camellia around the corner. Normally a very early spring bloomer, this is blooming now. On Monday, it was 70 degrees F, the warmest November 26th on record here in NYC.Today it’s a relatively cool 57, some fourteen degrees higher…
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Downy parachute
This is the seed of a milkweed, several different species of which are found in Brooklyn Bridge Park. According to this site, it’s a parachute seed, one of seven different wind-dispersal types.A framed version that I found down the block. Looks homemade, using the same techniques my old stained glass artist of a roommate used.…
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Navy Yard
The human/nature… intersection? continuum? state-of-being? Whatever you want to call, it certainly is. What it means here on this blog is that I always keep a weather-eye out for manifestations when I’m up to other things. So, checking out the new museum at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, I found this Henson Creature Shop animatronic pigeon.…
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Back 40 Snail
A snail in the Back 40, hunkered down on the fence. Invasive Cepaea nemoralis, no stranger here. Showed up on Friday. Some mucous glue holds this onto the vertical surface, the animal withdrawn deep into the whorls of the shell.
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American Chestnut, Prospect Park
Stumbled on another American Chestnut in Prospect Park. A city of leaves on a hill.
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Cattails in Autumn
The rooftop cattail colony on Furman St. Uh-oh, is that phragmites in the corner? There goes the neighborhood!
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Springtime in November
It was like spring in Prospect Park today. Late spring, even, except for the rich fall colors of the leaves and the lack of birdsong. How warm was it? There was a woman wearing a bikini in Nelly’s Lawn. Among other sun-worshippers were the turtles, brought up out of the murk by the warmth.A few…
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Big Brooklyn Tree
A recent post by my fellow naturalist co-conspirator Melissa at Out Walking the Dog mentioned “state champion trees.” I was curious to find out more about these. To be on NY state’s Big Tree Register, trees are awarded points based on their height in feet plus trunk circumference in inches plus 1/4th of average crown…
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G Train Roses
This morning, these roses at the corner of the patriotic intersection of Washington & Lafayette were still going strong. Ruins of Halloween in the background.
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Back 40 Update
A better view of the pin oak sapling. The Staten Island native meadow mix bed. This is my biggest pot; like most everything in my backyard, it was found on the street and recycled. While moving some soil, I found a number of grubs who had buried into the earth for the winter:They buried themselves…
Backyard and Beyond 