Prospect Park
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VLB Adult
In less than a decade, the invasive Viburnum Leaf Beetle (Pyrrhalta viburni) has spread throughout most of New York State. They devour the leaves of viburnum species, key understory plants of our woodlands; a couple years infestation can kill the plant. I’ve seen the damage they do in Prospect Park, skeletonizing every leaf on a…
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Green Heron
How many Green Heron (Butorides virescens) nests are there in Prospect Park? I saw one, heard about another, and suspect a third.
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Barn Swallow
It’s always dark under this bridge. This Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) nest, made of mud and muck-matter, is a year old and being used again. Nearby is a two-year-old nest that is being re-used again after a vacancy last year. Here are some gathering mud like the masons they are.
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Squirrel in the Garbage
Some may find this a textbook case of cute, not to mention the adaptability of some animals to live off of our garbage, but all this processed fat and sugar can’t be very good for the animal. After all, just because you like to eat something doesn’t mean it’s good for you, as many of…
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Rodentia
There’s a debate around here about which of our rodent friends this young’un is. There were at least ten of them strung out along about thirty feet of paved path in Prospect Park recently, most of them with their eyes still closed, some not moving, others scurrying regardless of their eyelids. I don’t know what…
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Nesting
Green Heron (Butorides virescens) sitting on eggs out over the water. It rare to see Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) on the ground. These were stuffing their bills full of mud for their cup nests. Talk about the importance of varied habitats and general all-around messiness! This is a patch where the stone border of the…
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Snout’s Up
Small-to-medium-sized Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) peeking from the Duckweed and algae atop the perhaps deceptively named Lullwater in Prospect today. Update: On second thought, and thoughtful suggestion, this is probably just another Red-eared Slider. All that yellow in the chin wouldn’t be on a Snapping T.
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The Birds Certainly Do It
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) throwing out some wood chips from a nest cavity. Both birds were working on the excavation, and defending it from cavity-stealing Starlings. One of a pair of tiny Blue-gray Gnatcatchers (Polioptila caerulea) crafting a nest of spider webs and lichen. Yes, that’s right, spider webs and lichen.Meanwhile, having gotten the jump…
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Blooms, Bugs, Walks
Ornamental quince with pollinator butt. Which reminds me: I will be doing a Blooms and Bugs walk in Brooklyn Bridge Park on May 11th for NYC Wildflower Week. I’ll also be doing a sunrise Listening Tour for them on May 9th. And while we’re on the topic of walks, it’s the Jane’s Walk weekend (NYC…
Backyard and Beyond 