I scatter seeds on my porch for the birds when the weather gets cold. This morning I had lots of visitors. Click on the photos to enlarge. House sparrows, Passerdomesticus, are always the first to arrive. They like seeds and breadcrumbs. They usually come in a group. The cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, eats seeds, nuts, and […]
Author: Julie Feinstein
I am a Collection Manager at the American Museum of Natural History, an author, and a photographer. I live in New York City. I recently published my first popular science book, Field Guide to Urban Wildlife, an illustrated collection of natural history essays about common animals. I update my blog, Urban Wildlife Guide, every Sunday.
A Pomegranate for the Cardinals
Sometimes I buy a pomegranate, put it on a shelf, and never get around to eating it. You have to be in the mood to get red juice on your hands… Cardinals are happy to help with that. I cut a dried-up looking pomegranate into bits yesterday — it was still juicy inside — and […]
Winter Plumage
I took this photo of a laughing gull in non-breeding plumage at the end of September in southern New Jersey. Laughing gulls, Leucophaeus atricilla, loose their sleek black hoods as summer ends.Breeding season is over by then and they no longer have to look their best to impress potential mates.If you didn’t know better you […]
Snow Geese
Snow geese are migrating in North America. Visit my blog by clicking “web” under my bio below, for more. My book Field Guide to Urban Wildlife has many more urban wildlife stories.
Blue Damselflies
Damselflies are mating in the marsh grass on the New Jersey coast. Read about it in my blog by pressing “web” below. Read more about common insects in my book, A Field Guide to Urban Wildlife.
Common Copper Butterfly
New England is seeing the last of this year’s common copper butterflies. Click on my blog, UrbanWildlifeGuide.net to read about them. Lots more about butterflies and wildlife in my book — the Field Guide to Urban Wildlife.
Fiddler Crabs
Cold weather is beginning to settle over New England. New Jersey’s coastal fiddler crabs are about to disappear into the mud until spring. Read about it in my blog Urban Wildlife Guide. And read more about urban wildlife in my book Field Guide to Urban Wildlife.
Busy Gray Catbirds
Gray catbirds, Dumetella carolinensis, are nesting near my porch in Brooklyn in New York City. They pop out of the underbrush to investigate any activity on the porch. The catbird’s famous features are the gray body, black cap, and reddish patch under the tail. Visit my blog for a longer story about these birds at […]