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January 13th, 2026 Reader Photo Gallery

December 2025

Delicate ice art, bold snow tracks, and brilliant birds were among the subjects of December’s photo submissions. Dawn Brooks discovered bear tracks in Monterey, Massachusetts; Ken Dickerman noticed “crystal bats” hanging in Barnard, Vermont; and Wendy Hutchins was visited by a young bobcat in Andover, Maine.

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This gallery is made possible through generous support from R. Timothy Larsen / Larsen Fund.

Green weaver spider Photo: Jackie Robidoux
Merrimack, NH. “Green long-jawed orb weaver taking a walk in the snow.” | Photo: Jackie Robidoux
Nightsky Photo: Celeste Wetherell
Lyme, NH. “Hope in the dark.” | Photo: Celeste Wetherell
Bird battle Photo: Lonnie S. Jandreau
Ashland, ME. “Survival of the fittest.” | Photo: Lonnie S. Jandreau
Swamp sparrow Photo: Charlie Schwarz
South Williamsport, PA. “Wetlands are the preferred habitat for this swamp sparrow and its kin.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Grapevine Photo: Tammis Coffin
Lee, MA. “Looks like grapevine in a fence by a snowy field. But it’s also circumnutation, thigmotropism, and sclerenchyma, having spiraled, sensed touch, and hardened.” | Photo: Tammis Coffin
River otter Photo: Robin Feustel
Antrim, NH. “River otter fun.” | Photo: Robin Feustel
Snow print Photo: C. J. Frankiewicz
Addison, VT. “A duck had climbed onto the snow-covered shore of Lake Champlain and flushed, leaving wing and tail prints featuring individual feathers in the snow.” | Photo: C. J. Frankiewicz
Barred owl Photo: Sandy Miklas Dannis
Dalton, NH. “‘Who cooks for you?’ Barred owl hunts in the snow.” | Photo: Sandy Miklas Dannis
Red squirrel Photo: Jackie Robidoux
Merrimack, NH. “Red squirrel at attention.” | Photo: Jackie Robidoux
Owl nap Photo: Deb DeSalvo
Oldwick, NJ. “Gray morph eastern screech owl napping in a wood duck box.” | Photo: Deb DeSalvo
Bear tracks Photo: Dawn Brooks
Monterey, MA. “Snow drifts over the track of a black bear which meandered by the edge of a beaver winter cache as it crossed the ice.” | Photo: Dawn Brooks
Opossum Photo: Karinne Heise
Warner, NH. “An opossum nosing around in the snow.” | Photo: Karinne Heise
Bluebird Photo: David Nallett
Keene, NH. “A fluffed-up bluebird on a very cold morning.” | Photo: David Nallett
Catamount hills Photo: Judy Sweet
Buckland, MA. “While dusk descends on the valley, the Catamount Hills across the river are lit by late afternoon sun.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
Cardinal Photo: Robert Piepsny
Chagrin Falls, OH. “Male cardinal in flight.” | Photo: Robert Piepsny
Red chokeberry Photo: Karen Dapp
Warrensville, PA. “Scarlet red chokeberries are a delightful winter treat for birds and keep the forest meadow colorful.” | Photo: Karen Dapp
Woodpecker Photo: Charlie Schwarz
South Williamsport, PA. “Red-bellied woodpeckers such as this male have expanded their range northward over the last 60 years.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Dalton sunset Photo: Sandy Miklas Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Dalton winter sunset.” | Photo: Sandy Miklas Dannis
Porcupine den Photo: Jackie Robidoux
Merrimack, NH. “Active porcupine den.” | Photo: Jackie Robidoux
Icy log Photo: Ken Dickerman
Barnard, VT. “Crystal bats.” | Photo: Ken Dickerman
Ice art Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
Tenants Harbor, ME. “Ice art, one of the best ice days I can remember - aesthetically speaking of course. ‘Easy on the eyes’ kind of ice, rough for tracking though.” | Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
December colors Photo: Leif Tillotson
St. Albans, VT. December colors. | Photo: Leif Tillotson
Ice art Photo: Lee Ferrande
Halifax Burrage Wildlife Area, MA. “Nature ice art.” | Photo: Lee Ferrande
Goldenrod sunset Photo: Liz Thompson
Williston, VT. “Goldenrod and golden sunset.” | Photo: Liz Thompson
Northern harrier Photo: Charlie Schwarz
South Williamsport, PA. A female northern harrier going in for a landing on a black willow snag in a wetland. | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Tracks lodge Photo: Karinne Heise
Warner, NH. “Followed these coyote tracks to a large beaver lodge in the middle of the marsh.” | Photo: Karinne Heise
Evening primrose Photo: Liz Thompson
Williston, VT. “Evening primrose.” | Photo: Liz Thompson
Grapevines Photo: Lynette Reep
Burlington, VT. “Grapevines at dawn.” | Photo: Lynette Reep
Bobcat track Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
Tenants Harbor, ME. Bobcat track on ice. | Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
Female cardinal Photo: Marie Rainville
Franklin, VT. “Female cardinal.” | Photo: Marie Rainville
Evening tracks Photo: Sandy Miklas Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Late day tracks.” | Photo: Sandy Miklas Dannis
Hoar frost Photo: Sharon Bombard
Williamstown, MA. “Feathery hoar frost on the ground.” | Photo: Sharon Bombard
Winter landscape Photo: Judy Sweet
Buckland, MA. “Strolling in the sugarcoated landscape on a cold winter’s day.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
Woodpecker Photo: Tim Loftus
North Oxford, MA. “Red-bellied woodpecker eating poison ivy berries.” | Photo: Tim Loftus
Bobcat Photo: Wendy Hutchins
Andover, ME. “A young, very relaxed bobcat came right up on our deck!” | Photo: Wendy Hutchins
Hornets nest Photo: Karen Dapp
Warrensville, PA. “Master builders: bald-faced hornets skillfully build their nest with layers of chewed wood pulp mixed with their saliva. The petal stroke design of grayish brown and tans blend naturally with the forest colors. Brilliant!” | Photo: Karen Dapp
Sunset Photo: Leif Tillotson
Burlington, VT. Sunset over Lake Champlain. | Photo: Leif Tillotson

Submit Your Photos to the Reader Gallery

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.

You may submit up to three photos per person. While we can’t publish every submission, we carefully consider each one.

When reviewing submissions, we look for:

  • A variety of topics and subjects
  • High-quality, well-composed images
  • Good resolution (prefer images at least 1000 pixels on the longer edge)
  • Geographic diversity across the region

Before submitting, please read and agree to the terms and conditions below. These give Northern Woodlands a perpetual license to use your photographs. If your image isn’t selected for the gallery but we’d like to feature it elsewhere, we’ll reach out to you.

Having trouble submitting? You can also email your photo(s) and caption(s) to: Nancy (at) northernwoodlands.org. Please use the subject line: Reader Photo Submission. And don’t forget to confirm in your email that you’ve read and agreed to our terms and conditions.

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