Gooped and gagged! I was sitting atop Discovery Hill about 9:30 a.m., waiting to see if there would be any visible migration of raptors or water birds, when I heard the soft, rich chuckling of a large woodpecker behind me. Expecting to see a flicker, I turned and looked over my left shoulder as this bird, longer than my forearm, landed at the base of a small sweetgum no more than 10-12 feet away from me. I gasped out loud, and the bird also looked quite startled and immediately took off south. I ran down the hill toward Picnic Point and saw the bird coming back toward me. I got a few photos as it disappeared over the hills. As the morning went on and Mary Beth Kooper and then Ian Bell arrived on the island, we realized that the bird was doing roughly counterclockwise loops of the island, clearly uncomfortable to be here but unwilling to cross the water. I saw it fly south past Discovery Hill again around 10:27 a.m. at eye level—I think I swore out loud—which was 5-10 minutes after Mary Beth had seen it at Colonels Row. Later in the morning and up till about 12:30, I saw it several times near Fort Jay and the Manhattan ferry terminal, with the Lower Manhattan skyline behind it. It was calling periodically throughout the morning, a loud and far-carrying sound on the small island. The bird had a black stripe behind the bill and a blackish forehead, indicating that it is a female. First eBird record for Governors Island, and for New York County south of the large, wooded parks at the northern end of Manhattan.
Relatively still and clear water today allowed for great looks at their underwater life.
Five photos under UV light and last two photos with flash. We found this tiny individual by shining a UV flashlight in clumps of grass. It was actively and methodically hunting among rocks and vegetation. Amazing!
Unfortunately couldn't get dorsal shot without damaging web
Male; confirmed via dissection. See https://bugguide.net/node/view/1567928.
Incredibly elongated spider found on old fence post fouling community at low tide. The post is submerged for multiple hours at a time.
Observed during the Saltmarsh life Safari on the skimmer boat
Found kayaking through spartina
If I can identify these spiderlings, I can figure out who's making these weird pink egg sacs
Egg sac: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/196863704
Spiderlings: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/196863702
If I can identify these spiderlings, I can figure out who's making these weird pink egg sacs
Egg sac: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/196863704
Spiderlings: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/196863702
Looks like a reed-mimic. First few photos were staged with a branch I found nearby and stuck into the sand. The last photo is a "as found".
uncertain on host plant
Spiderlings emerged from Egg Sack
Dark form
Polyscias marchionensis upper left corner; Poumaka in background
Coneflower rosette mites from Echinacea “Sombrero: Salsa Red”. Micrograph shows one juvenile, a few adult males, some protogynes, and some deutogynes (overwintering adult females); taken with a Leica DM2500 light microscope.
I did not find it but in a group they cannot identify it so I upload it. Yo no la encontre pero lo subo para identificación . Photos by Pedro Alejandro Chou Rodríguez
Facebook:Arachnomania Humanus
possibly egg sack
Compares well with this one: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/41782587
On Magnolia virginiana
ID is a guess. On Avicennia
Had a nice day in the Upper and Middle Keys. I came down to give a talk to the Garden Club of the Upper Keys in Tavernier at 11AM and spent the rest of the day bioblitzing a few spots.
All of my observations from today: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2023-03-21&order_by=observed_on&place_id=any&user_id=joemdo
In deciduous woods
There appears to be a fungus on the pronotum of this wasp. For the fungus, see