Crawling cecropia caterpillars! Your August photos – which we have, once again, divided into two galleries – featured a variety of insect life. In this first gallery, Jamie Pearson welcomed a new froggy resident to the bluebird house, Ross Lanius tracked the stars through the sky, and Charlie Reinertson took a great close-up shot of a gray jay (perhaps, in the manner of gray jays, contemplating a food heist?).
August 2020 - Part One
Wentworth/Orford, NH. “Mt Cube at 5:30 am, overlooking upper and lower Baker Pond.” | Photo: Jordan Kendall
Middlefield, OH. Caterpillars of cecropia moth, North America’s largest native moth. “Its size is reflected in the robust caterpillars which spend all summer munching leaves before finally spinning a cocoon.” | Photo: Tami Gingrich
Lyman, NH. “Juvenile garter snake attempting to look inconspicuous.” | Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
Pittsburg, NH. A Canada jay, also known as a gray jay, and whisky jack. | Photo: Charlie Reinertsen
Brookfield , NH. A second look at a cecropia moth caterpillar, measured by the photographer as, “4.25 inch long.” | Photo: Sally Cornwell
Pownal, VT. A yellow garden spider with a classic zigzag pattern (stabilimentum) woven into its web. | Photo: Bonita R. Choly
Dalton, NH. “Late season ground nest in lightly traveled woodland trail. Look carefully - it appears to be lined with black bear hair!” | Photo: AM Dannis
Pownal, ME. “Our newest boarder here at Fuego Diablo: an eastern gray tree frog who has taken over an empty bluebird house that was leaned up against our hawthorn tree. It's there most days just relaxing in the entry hole, seemingly pleased as punch to keep watch over the yard.” | Photo: Jamie Pearson
Lincoln, VT. “Hummingbird at our bee balm” | Photo: Harriet Szanto
Trout Run, PA. “An adult bald eagle at Rose Valley Lake.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Snydertown, PA. American spikenard. “Berries are ripening.” | Photo: Bonnie Honaberger
Franklin County, Adirondacks, NY. “Northern reindeer lichen and haircap moss.” | Photo: Tom Grett
Pownal, ME. “This green frog is missing some of its yellow pigmentation and is partially blue in color!” For another look at a blue frog and information about this phenomenon, see “1,000 Words” in our magazine’s Spring 2020 issue. | Photo: Cindy Morin
Enfield, CT. “After a year of no signs of Moose she is back plus 1.” | Photo: Daniel B. Hart
Plainfield, MA. Rattlesnake plantain in bloom. There are two explanation for the name of this evergreen orchid: the rattle shape of its bloom, and the snakeskin-like tracery white veining on its leaves. | Photo: Jack Nelson
Central Vermont. Young chestnut-sided warbler. | Photo: Anonymous
Berlin, VT. “Love having chickadees around.” | Photo: Larry Perry
Ashland, ME. “Moose shed ideas.” | Photo: Lonnie S. Jandreau
South Williamsport, PA. “Little Bear Creek, a popular trout stream, in a dry summer.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Presque Isle, ME. Fir pitch, including “bubble bear.” | Photo: Michael Gudreau
Onondaga County Highland Forest, NY. “Viceroy butterfly, a mimic of the monarch.” | Photo: Ron Becker
Sherman, ME. A white admiral butterfly. | Photo: Rose Bragdon
Williamstown, MA. “Surprising shadows made by water striders on the bottom of a shallow pool along the Green River.” | Photo: Sharon Bombard
Middlesex, VT. “This mushroom looks like a bagel to me!” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
Colchester, VT. “A mink scampering on the rocks along the Colchester Railroad Causeway.” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
Wentworth, NH. A giant swallowtail butterfly. “First time these butterflies have visited our coreopsis and bergamot flowers.” | Photo: Brenton L. Johnson
Cambridgeport , VT. “This male shadow darner paid me a visit in a rural parking lot.” | Photo: Tim Roper
Stratford, NH. He’s back! Cruiser has appeared in this photo gallery occasionally since puppyhood. Here, he “takes a break in Nash Stream Forest beside a large yellow birch with a decades old notch.” | Photo: Todd Caron
Snydertown, PA. “An American Lady butterfly enjoying the Joe Pye.” | Photo: Bonnie Honaberger
Middlefield, OH. The caterpillars of royal walnut moths, hickory horned devils are frightening to look at, but harmless. | Photo: Tami Gingrich
Dalton, NH. Sumac leaf galls. | Photo: AM Dannis
Plymouth, VT. “Barn spider in wait.” | Photo: Tom Harris
Sharon, VT. “Painted turtle and bullfrog share a shady pond-side.” | Photo: Peter Hollinger
Fabius, NY. “Exploring Labrador Pond.” | Photo: Margie Manthey
Dalton, NH. “Hops from historic farm revive in new patch cut.” | Photo: AM Dannis
New Haven, CT. “Went to the bird blind to photography osprey and found one on the blind's roof.” | Photo: Ross Lanius
Whitefield, NH. “Round-leave sundew plant. This is one of several species of carnivorous sundew species found in the northern woodlands.” | Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
North Haven, CT. “Tried to photograph Perseid meteor shower but only captured a passing airplane in the star trails.” | Photo: Ross Lanius
South Trescott, ME. “Butter and eggs by the roadside, yellow toadflax.” | Photo: Nate Rosebrooks
Rochester, VT. “Spider web cloaked in early morning dew.” | Photo: Pam Landry
South Trescott, ME. “Welcome to my parlor, said the spider to the fly.” | Photo: Nate Rosebrooks
Bradford, VT. “Wrights Mountain after the storm in the evening.” | Photo: Jordan Kendall
Franklin County, Adirondacks, NY. Indian pipe, also known as ghost plant. Instead of harvesting sunlight, it lives off the mycorrhizae of Russula and Lactaria fungi. | Photo: Tom Grett
Thetford, VT. “By the end of the month, wild grapes were starting to ripen.” | Photo: Anonymous
Otisco, NY. “Lygaeus kalmii, known as the small milkweed bug, discovered while I was monitoring a small milkweed patch for monarch caterpillars.” | Photo: Margie Manthey
Snydertown, PA. “Male ruby throated hummingbird enjoying some sugar water.” | Photo: Bonnie Honaberger
Franklin County, Adirondacks, NY. Beaver lodge. | Photo: Tom Grett
Snydertown, PA. Cleaning out her daylily bed, the photographer found a praying mantis, and what is likely a shed exoskeleton (see arrow). | Photo: Bonnie Honaberger
Parkman, OH. An American goldfinch on its nest. | Photo: Tami Gingrich
South Williamsport, PA. “Green heron at a beaver pond.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz