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August 2023

In August, many of you seemed intent on documenting the diversity of late-summer life forms on the forest floor. Berries, insects, snakes, and frogs all featured prominently (there was also an appearance by the first-and-last-of-its-kind “Bold Coast long tailed lizard”).  In North Clarendon, Vermont, Sheryl Gebauer documented a dramatic (and possibly romantic) snapping turtle rendezvous, while in Tuxedo, New York, Terryanne Maenza-Gmelch made a fun beetle find: an eastern eyed click beetle, complete with fake eye markings to scare of the birds. “Tiny toad on Top of Mt. Nittany” is fun phrase to say, and it’s also what Katie found in State College, Pennsylvania.

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This gallery is made possible through generous support from the Larsen Fund.

Bluebirds Photo: Larry Litke
Jeffersonville, VT. “Newly fledged bluebird being fed a wild raspberry.” | Photo: Larry Litke
Mycena mushroom Photo: Brandon Sorg
Newfane, VT. “A fallen mycena mushroom (about 1cm wide), rests on top of British soldier lichens.” | Photo: Brandon Sorg
Kayaking Photo: Richard Philben
Orange, MA. “Looking from underneath a railroad bridge at the Miller’s River from my kayak.” | Photo: Richard Philben
Monarch chrysalis Photo: Anne Montgomery
Guilford, VT. “Monarch chrysalis attached to a garden hose.” | Photo: Anne Montgomery
Glowing mushrooms Photo: Cori Hill
Westford, VT. “I have no words!” | Photo: Cori Hill
Green jelly babies Photo: Sandy Dannis
Dalton, NH. “The common name for these unusual green jelly baby (Leotia viscosa) mushrooms is ‘chicken lips’!” | Photo: Sandy Dannis
Newark sunset Photo: Barry C. Setterstrom
Newark Pond, VT. “A nice sunset from the south side of Newark Pond.” | Photo: Barry C. Setterstrom
Blue butterfly Photo: Bekky Honkala
Wilmington, NY. “Eastern tailed-blue.” | Photo: Bekky Honkala
Purple coral Photo: Bendrix Bailey
Greenville, ME. “Rare occurrence of purple coral fungus.” | Photo: Bendrix Bailey
Butterfly garden Photo: Stephen Fox
Concord, NH. “Monarch butterfly caterpillar. Why a butterfly garden is a good thing.” | Photo: Stephen Fox
Poison mushroom Photo: Charlie Schwarz
South Williamsport, PA. “The most poisonous mushroom in North America, the destroying angel.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Garter snake Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
Sugar Hill, NH. “Closeup of a common garter snake.” | Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
Turtlehead aster Photo: Sheri Larsen
Stowe, VT. “A turtlehead and an aster near the Mt. Mansfield ridgeline.” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
Bobcat Photo: Ben Haubrich
Francestown, NH. “Bobcat on the prowl.” | Photo: Ben Haubrich
Elegant stinkhorn Photo: Terryanne Maenza-Gmelch
Cornwall, NY. A stinkhorn, probably elegant stinkhorn, Mutinus elegans, in Black Rock Forest. | Photo: Terryanne Maenza-Gmelch
Hummingbird Photo: Larry Litke
Jeffersonville, VT. “Juvenile male ruby-throated hummingbird covered in pollen.” | Photo: Larry Litke
Snapping turtles Photo: Sheryl Gebauer
North Clarendon, VT. “Snapping turtles seeing eye to eye in our pond.” | Photo: Sheryl Gebauer
Straight branched coral Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
Tenants Harbor, ME. “Spider in the straight branched coral (Ramaria stricta).” | Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
Pine sawyer beetle Photo: Barry
Francestown, NH. “Northeastern pine sawyer beetle (Monochampus notatus) is our largest sawyer beetle. Females lay eggs in dead or dying pines; larvae make audible chewing sounds and produce sawdust, hence the name sawyer beetle. (Caution: sawyer beetles may bite.)” | Photo: Barry
Lavender mushroom Photo: Katie
State College, PA. “Lavender mushroom on Mt. Nittany.” [Editor’s note: This is probably a viscid violet court.] | Photo: Katie
Low impact logging Photo: Gordon Gould
Waterford, VT. “Low impact logging during a wet season using single tree and small group selection with a tractor and winch.” | Photo: Gordon Gould
Mt Ascutney Photo: Jill DeVito
Windsor, VT. “A clear day on Mt. Ascutney.” | Photo: Jill DeVito
Pretty caterpillar Photo: Charlie Schwarz
South Williamsport, PA. “This pretty caterpillar feeds on turtlehead and has no common name, its scientific name is Tenthredo grandis.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Parrot mushroom Photo: Brandon Sorg
Newfane, VT. “While small in size, this parrot mushroom’s (Gliophorus psittacinus) unusual lime green color easily caught my attention.” | Photo: Brandon Sorg
Butterfly remains Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
Lyman, NH. “The wing remnants of a monarch butterfly were found suspiciously near the entrance to an ant colony.” | Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
Pickerelweed Photo: Susan Lichty
Barnstead, NH. “Pretty purple pickerelweed.” | Photo: Susan Lichty
Black bear Photo: Karinne Heise
Williamstown, MA. “A black bear cub surveying the view from the top of a wild apple tree.” | Photo: Karinne Heise
Clymene moth Photo: Marcy Stanton
Lyndeborough, NH. “Striking clymene moth.” | Photo: Marcy Stanton
Northern water snake Photo: Jay Remington
Bedford, MA. “Northern water snake.” | Photo: Jay Remington
Weathered tree Photo: Joyce Layne
Boot Head Lubec, ME. “The Bold Coast long tailed lizard.” | Photo: Joyce Layne
Yellow spider Photo: Jill DeVito
Mt. Ascutney State Park, VT. A spider visited the photographer’s water bottle on top of Mt. Ascutney. | Photo: Jill DeVito
Otter Photo: Mary Hartt
North Maine Woods, ME. “Otter wondering.” | Photo: Mary Hartt
Horse hair fungus Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Duboistown, PA. “Not all mushrooms are large or showy, this is the tiny horse hair fungus.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Green snake Photo: Tom Grett
Northern Adirondacks, NY. “Green grass snake.” | Photo: Tom Grett
Ochre jelly babies Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
Tenants Harbor, ME. “Ochre jelly babies - (Leotia lubrica), pre-deliquesce.” | Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
Tiny toad Photo: Katie
State College, PA. “Tiny toad on Top of Mt. Nittany.” | Photo: Katie
Stinkhorn Photo: Kathy Guicho
Lawrence, MA. “Stinkhorn growing in our garden.” | Photo: Kathy Guicho
Cecropia Photo: Jeff Krebs
Burlington, VT. “Cecropia moth caterpillar.” | Photo: Jeff Krebs
Jelly babies Photo: Sheri Larsen
Essex Town, VT. “Nice display of ochre jelly club fungi at Indian Brook Park.” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
Pearly everlasting Photo: Nate Rosebrooks
South Trescott, ME. “Pearly everlasting, Anaphalis margaritacea.” | Photo: Nate Rosebrooks
Old Field Photo: Marcy Stanton
Temple, NH. “A perfect day for a walk and a beautiful view.” | Photo: Marcy Stanton
Muskross waterfall Photo: Jill DeVito
Springfield, VT. “The waterfall at Muckross State Park.” | Photo: Jill DeVito
Peeper Photo: Molly Doody
Wendell, MA. “A spring peeper nested in the kale in my garden.” | Photo: Molly Doody
Fawn Photo: Ben Haubrich
Francestown, NH. “Fawn wary of bobcat on the prowl.” | Photo: Ben Haubrich
Green lacewing Photo: Matt DeLuca
Nauset Beach, Chatham, MA. “A green lacewing resting on a rainy wall.” | Photo: Matt DeLuca
Clear pond Photo: John W. Blaser
Brewster, NY. “Passage to Clear Pond, Adirondacks.” | Photo: John W. Blaser
Broadwings Photo: Tim Larsen
Moretown, VT. “Broadwings frolicking.” | Photo: Tim Larsen
Great egrets Photo: Richard Philben
Shelburne, MA. “One of four great egrets that stopped by the Patten Hill area one afternoon.” | Photo: Richard Philben
Cow moose Photo: Mary Hartt
North Maine Woods, ME. “Cow in the fog.” | Photo: Mary Hartt
Viceroy butterfly Photo: Tom Grett
Northern Adirondacks, NY. “Viceroy butterfly on coneflowers.” | Photo: Tom Grett
Trillium berry Photo: Joyce Layne
Boot Head Lubec, ME. A trillium berry. | Photo: Joyce Layne
Chicken in the woods Photo: Sandy Dannis
Dalton, NH. “It’s baaacck!!! Chicken of the woods (Laetiporus) reappears on a big old log deep in the woods.” | Photo: Sandy Dannis
Wood nymph Photo: Marcy Stanton
Lyndeborough, NH. “Common wood-nymph - a little battered but still beautiful.” | Photo: Marcy Stanton
Glacial potholes Photo: Sharon Bombard
Shelburne Falls, MA. “Glacial potholes (kettles) at the base of Salmon Falls on the Deerfield River as water and rocks swirl together to grind out these circular holes (which are still being made today as ice melt raises the water level every spring).” | Photo: Sharon Bombard
Hummingbird Photo: Susan E. March
Peru, NY. “Ruby throated hummingbird tasting the bee balm.” | Photo: Susan E. March
Beech nuts Photo: Judy Sweet
Buckland, MA. “Beech branch loaded with nuts on August 24th.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
Pinesap Photo: Ben Haubrich
Francestown, NH. “Pinesap in the cool evergreen understory.” | Photo: Ben Haubrich
Ichneumonid wasp Photo: Toby Kravitz
White River Junction, VT. “Black giant ichneumonid wasp.” | Photo: Toby Kravitz
Loon Photo: Mary Hartt
Otis, ME. A parent loon feeding its chick. | Photo: Mary Hartt
Click beetle Photo: Terryanne Maenza-Gmelch
Tuxedo, NY. “Eastern eyed click beetle in Sterling Forest State Park” | Photo: Terryanne Maenza-Gmelch
Wood froglet Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
Tenants Harbor, ME. “Wood froglet.” | Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
Ambush bug Photo: Karinne Heise
Warner, NH. “A jagged ambush bug embracing the cone of a black-eyed Susan.” | Photo: Karinne Heise
Ghost plant Photo: Sandy Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Large patch of Indian pipe (Monotropa uniflora), aka ghost plant, turning pink as it goes past.” | Photo: Sandy Dannis
Frog Photo: Tom Grett
Northern Adirondacks, NY. “Green frog on lily pads.” | Photo: Tom Grett
Sunset Photo: John W. Blaser
Brewster, NY. “Sunset on the Rainbow Lake Esker, Adirondacks.” | Photo: John W. Blaser
Lingonberries Photo: Sheri Larsen
Stowe, VT. “Lingonberries along the Long Trail on the Mt. Mansfield ridgeline.” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
Doe and fawn Photo: Tom Nold
Shelburne, VT. “Doe and fawn in evening light.” | Photo: Tom Nold
Woolly bear caterpillar Photo: Joyce Layne
Hamilton Cove Lubec, ME. “Woolly bear on meadowsweet.” | Photo: Joyce Layne
Birdnest Photo: Nancy Dennis
Norwich, VT. “The perfect nest during this rainy month.” | Photo: Nancy Dennis
Tree frog Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
Franconia, NH. “A young tree frog chilling out and enjoying a sunny morning.” | Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
Hobblebush berries Photo: Judy Sweet
Buckland, MA. “Hobblebush berries were ripening when seen August 24th.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
Pitcher plants Photo: Paul Fillion
Pittsburg, NH. “Healthy northern pitcher plant with wasp.” | Photo: Paul Fillion
Deer Photo: Tim Larsen
Moretown, VT. “Deer in its element.” | Photo: Tim Larsen
Crazy tree Photo: Brian Kerwin
Wanakena, NY. “How did this tree get so contorted?” | Photo: Brian Kerwin
Ringneck snake Photo: Jill DeVito
Rockingham, VT. “Ringneck snake (spots on the belly are unusual for the northern population).” | Photo: Jill DeVito

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We’re always thrilled to see what’s happening in the Northeast through your eyes. Each season, we feature approximately 50 reader-submitted images in our online gallery. To be considered, please send us photos taken within the past month.

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