Week 28 - Green-Wood Cemetery

Here's a summary of my Green-Wood Cemetery observations for July 8 through July 14, week 28 of 2024.

Nearly all of this year's nesting birds have fledged offspring, although I did spot one robin still on the nest (brood #4?). I missed watching the Valley Water Eastern Kingbirds leaving the nest, but found them the next day still nearby. Our lone Red-tailed Hawk fledgling is flying around "The Flats" crying for free food delivery. This is approximately the period when the adults begin to force their offfspring to learn to hunt by slowing down their feedings. If you find yourself in the vicinity of Cypress Avenue and Vernal Avenue, listen for its high-pitched whinning call.

Some of the early songbird migrants have begun returning to the cemetery on their southbound, "Fall" migration journey. A couple of Yellow Warblers and a single Louisiana Waterthrush have been resting and refueling near the ponds. A couple of uncommon sightings have been of Black-billed Cuckoo and Carolina Wren. Both are immature birds, the latter likely hatched from somewhere not too far away and are just dispersing. Carolina Wrens are a resident species some years, but nearly vanish from Brooklyn during other years. Hopefully the few I observed this week will stick around. The cuckoo, on the other hand, I'm certain is just passing through. An interesting note about the cuckoo is that I watched it eating Spotted Lanternfly nymphs. This invasive insect appears to be at the start of a big infestation this summer.

Fledgling Eastern Kingbird

Young Carolina Wren

Immature Black-billed Cuckoo

Butterfly diversity is on the increase with several more "year" butterflies observed last week. I'm still only seeing one species of skipper, the Sachem, but expect that to change in coming weeks. The Narrow-leaf Mountain mint is still the hotspot of pollinator activity. Here's my recent butterfly list: Silver-spotted Skipper, Sachem, Black Swallowtail, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Clouded Sulphur (white form), Summer Azure, Monarch, Variegated Fritillary, Pearl Crescent, Red Admiral and Painted Lady.

Variegated Fritillary

Sachem

Pearl Crescent

Dragonfly activity, mostly at the ponds, has increased tremendously. Around the cemetery the most common species lately are Common Green Darner, Blue Dasher and Eastern Amberwing. Here's my full list so far this year: Familiar Bluet, Common Green Darner, Eastern Pondhawk, Twelve-spotted Skimmer, Blue Dasher, Eastern Amberwing, Common Whitetail, Carolina Saddlebags and Black Saddlebags. During migration I expect to see several more species (yes, dragonflies do migrate).

Female Eastern Pondhawk

Several seasonal botanics are in full bloom with Buckeye Bottlebrush, Sweet Pepper Bush and St. John's Wort in particular attracting quite a lot of pollinator activity. While an invasive species, the Bull Thistle is beginning to flower and will attract a nice diversity of pollinators.

Buckeye Bottlebrush

St. John's Wort and bumblebees

Bull Thistle

Globe Thistle and Leaf-cutter Bee

Japanese Anemone

Sweet Pepper Bush

Blue Plantain Lily (Hosta ventricosa)

Finally, many of the trees and shrubs are entering their fruiting cycle. Some of those plants, like the pokeweed and Kousa Dogwood, will have a full harvest just in time for large numbers of southbound migrant birds. When the European Beeches are filled with ripe beechnuts, expect to see the resident Monk Parakeets spending much of their time enjoying the bounty.

Bald Cypress

Sweet Bay Magnolia

Wild Blackberry (?)

Pokeweed

Kousa Dogwood

Pawpaw

Wysteria

European Beech

The recent heat wave(s) has made spending long periods of time outdoors challenging. It doesn't look like this week's forecast will be any better. I'll try to get out at least three times, but we'll see...stay cool.