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.”

Marine Park

  • Bobolink

    Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) perching at Marine Park Nature Center. This is the adult, non-breeding plumage. The species migrates to southern South America. Like many grassland species, its numbers are dropping because of habitat loss.

    mthew

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  • Red-Shouldered Hawk

    A Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) perches near the Nature Center at Marine Park. A brief sighting; the bird zoomed off quick as a… hawk. Usually birds of the forest, they’re a rare sight in the city; I last saw one in Brooklyn in March 2011, at Calvert Vaux Park. I hear that this one has…

    mthew

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  • Clapper

    Clapper Rails (Rallus longirostris)* are more often heard than seen. They are named after the clapping-like “kek” sound they make, the soundtrack behind our saltwater and brackish marshes. Several years ago, before the big rehab of the Saltmarsh Center at Marine Park, I had my best view of this species. One kept emerging from the…

    mthew

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  • Marine Park Reborn

    In May of 2011, I got to go behind the scenes at the restoration project at Marine Park, courtesy of NYC Wildflower Week. Two weeks ago, the long-closed path was opened to the public. Things have changed quite a bit since I was last there.Ladies and gentlemen, we have salt marsh.And meadow. Not lawn, but…

    mthew

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  • Salt Marsh, Silk Stockings

    Marine Park is the largest park in Brooklyn, but most people think it ends at the NW end of Avenue U. Across the street, however, is the Salt Marsh Nature Center, which overlooks Marine Park Creek, which connects to Gerritsen Creek and flows into the Atlantic. This part of the park is a large, U-shaped…

    mthew

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