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March 23rd, 2023 Reader Photo Gallery

February 2023

Your February photos included images of winter resident birds and northern visitors, a tree valentine, and quiet scenes illuminated by soft winter light. A number of you shared intriguing patterns. In Canandaigua, New York, Samantha Wolf captured a female cardinal perfectly posed among frozen maple blossoms. In Burlington, Vermont, Leif Tillotson pondered the transformation of last season’s vegetation, and Amy Quist, stepping out of her door in Heath, Massachusetts, captured a macro image of snowflakes on fleece. Check out Kirk Gentalen’s frozen coyote slide, Nathan Kurz’s gruesome-but-cool photo of a moth half-consumed by cordyceps fungus, and Sheri Larsen’s lucky sighting: a male long-tailed duck on Lake Champlain.

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

February 2023 Photo: Cheryl Metcalf
Tunbridge, VT. “An evening grosbeak showing off his stunning colors.” | Photo: Cheryl Metcalf
February 2023 Photo: Ken Hatch
Hartford, VT. “Gray alder, also called speckled alder. The long catkins are the male buds, the tiny catkins are the female buds. In this photo the female catkins are difficult to see but can be seen best near the top center above the larger branch. They hang over the male catkins. The brown cones are last year’s fruit.” | Photo: Ken Hatch
February 2023 Photo: Sheri Larsen
Bolton, VT. “A brightly-clad skier enjoys the new snow on backcountry ski trails in Bolton.” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
February 2023 Photo: Sandy Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Morning visitors...pine grosbeaks.” | Photo: Sandy Dannis
February 2023 Photo: Robert Schneider
Margaretville, NY. Margaretville, NY. “Swinging on a cold winter day.” | Photo: Robert Schneider
February 2023 Photo: Amy Quist
Heath, MA. “Caught on fleece, a few snowflakes show off their six sides. Photo taken on my front steps.” | Photo: Amy Quist
February 2023 Photo: Karinne Heise
Warner, NH. “Backyard operation - boiling sap for maple syrup.” | Photo: Karinne Heise
February 2023 Photo: Stephen Fox
Concord, NH. “Merrimack River ice flow and reflections.” | Photo: Stephen Fox
February 2023 Photo: Linda Spielman
Dryden, NY. “Otter slides on a frozen lake with a rainbow.” | Photo: Linda Spielman
February 2023 Photo: Robert Schneider
Margaretville, NY. “Dropped my son off to ski and I drove around photographing the winter scenes.” | Photo: Robert Schneider
February 2023 Photo: Samantha Wolf
Canandaigua, NY. “Female cardinal matches surrounding frozen flowers.” | Photo: Samantha Wolf
February 2023 Photo: Ross Lanius
North Haven, CT. “Snowdrop, first blossom of the new year, real early this year, Feb 8.” Snowdrops aren’t native plants – their natural range is in Europe and Eurasia – but they’re not considered invasive, and are a welcome early sign of spring in the Northeast. | Photo: Ross Lanius
February 2023 Photo: Susan Lichty
Lempster, NH. “Thin slice of wood, no idea what kind of tree.” | Photo: Susan Lichty
February 2023 Photo: Cheryl Metcalf
Tunbridge, VT. “Female/immature evening grosbeak in snow.” | Photo: Cheryl Metcalf
February 2023 Photo: Charlie Schwarz
South Williamsport, PA. “Most male house finches are red, but some are yellow variants - same species, different color.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
February 2023 Photo: Kirk Gentalen
Tenants Harbor, ME. “Coyote crossing.” | Photo: Kirk Gentalen
February 2023 Photo: Ben Haubrich
New Boston, NH. “Swallowing the last bite.” | Photo: Ben Haubrich
February 2023 Photo: Sheri Larsen
Colchester, VT. “An uncommon visitor from the north. This male long-tailed duck was seen on Lake Champlain just off the Colchester Causeway.” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
February 2023 Photo: Stephen Fox
Concord, NH. “Part of a planned, but never finished, canal to facilitate barge traffic from the Merrimack River in East Concord.” | Photo: Stephen Fox
February 2023 Photo: Bonnie Benton
Wilson, NY. “Geese on the mouth of 12 Mile Creek.” | Photo: Bonnie Benton
February 2023 Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
Franconia, NH. “Mycelium of a wood decaying fungal species.” | Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
February 2023 Photo: Jack Scott
Bolton, VT. “The top of Bolton Valley Ski Resort.” | Photo: Jack Scott
February 2023 Photo: Charlie Schwarz
South Williamsport, PA. “Giant tiger moths spend the winter as caterpillars. Here’s the ventral side of one of those large hairy caterpillars.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
February 2023 Photo: Ross Lanius
North Haven, CT. “Skunk cabbage, really breaking the ground early this year.” | Photo: Ross Lanius
February 2023 Photo: Judy Sweet
Shelburne Falls, MA. “View of the Deerfield River from Shelburne Falls. Along the north side of the river is the Mahican Mohawk Trail, and Mount Massamet rises in the background.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
February 2023 Photo: Tom Grett
Northern Adirondacks, NY. “Some visitors to our bird feeders.” | Photo: Tom Grett
February 2023 Photo: Susan Lichty
Lempster, NH. “Fascinating fungal formation.” | Photo: Susan Lichty
February 2023 Photo: Kirk Gentalen
Tenants Harbor, ME. “Coyote slipped in snow on ice, snow melted and refroze, and became this....” | Photo: Kirk Gentalen
February 2023 Photo: Karinne Heise
Warner, NH. “Tufted titmouse.” | Photo: Karinne Heise
February 2023 Photo: Leif Tillotson
Burlington, VT. “Delicate vegetation has a whole different look in its winter garb.” | Photo: Leif Tillotson
February 2023 Photo: Amy Quist
Florida, MA. “View from Whitcomb Summit, this was a Groundhog Day sunrise I could relive over and over.” | Photo: Amy Quist
February 2023 Photo: Ken Hatch
Windsor, VT. “Bald eagle at Lake Runnemede. Vermont Audubon and Vermont Fish and Wildlife reintroduced bald eagles to Vermont from 2004-2006. The first pair to nest successfully in Vermont was in 2008. In 2022 Vermont had at least 45 territorial pairs.” | Photo: Ken Hatch
February 2023 Photo: Judy Sweet
Shelburne, MA. “Judging by the number of empty nutshells at the base of this shagbark hickory, this is a popular tree for neighborhood wildlife.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
February 2023 Photo: Aidan Jarvis
Cambridge, VT. “Smugglers Notch Ski Resort.” | Photo: Aidan Jarvis
February 2023 Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Pennsdale, PA. “Snow geese began their migration a little early this year.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
February 2023 Photo: Nathan Kurz
Readsboro, VT. “Moth infected with cordyceps fungus.” | Photo: Nathan Kurz
February 2023 Photo: Kirk Gentalen
Tenants Harbor, ME. “Spider ’n ice.” | Photo: Kirk Gentalen
February 2023 Photo: Tim Larsen
Moretown, VT. “Our resident barred owl soaking in the sun.” | Photo: Tim Larsen
February 2023 Photo: Laura Pratt
Bolton, VT. “Night skiing with a view. Sunset over the Adirondacks.” | Photo: Laura Pratt
February 2023 Photo: Sandy Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Yup, it’s a very hungry porcupine!” | Photo: Sandy Dannis
February 2023 Photo: Saralynn Anderson
Island Pond, VT. “Two birds flying together.” This image shows a red-breasted nuthatch and a chickadee. These species will often join with other birds in mixed winter flocks. | Photo: Saralynn Anderson
February 2023 Photo: Susan Lichty
Lempster, NH. “Heart of the woods.” | Photo: Susan Lichty
February 2023 Photo: Samantha Wolf
Canandaigua, NY. “After freezing rain.” | Photo: Samantha Wolf
February 2023 Photo: Amy Quist
Heath, MA. “A chilly morning adventure through loud, crunchy snow led to a surprise encounter with a pileated woodpecker in some nearby woods.” | Photo: Amy Quist
February 2023 Photo: Susan E. March
Marcellus, NY. “Opossum sneaks from the woods to have a feast before going to bed for the day.” | Photo: Susan E. March
February 2023 Photo: Judy Sweet
Ashfield, MA. “Neon green growth on a stone wall stands out in the winter landscape.” Lichen often brightens during thaws. | Photo: Judy Sweet
February 2023 Photo: Ken Hatch
Addison, VT. “Male horned lark at Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area.” | Photo: Ken Hatch
February 2023 Photo: Ross Lanius
North Haven, CT. “Tapping with a bucket and tubing in this productive sugar maple.” | Photo: Ross Lanius
February 2023 Photo: Ben Haubrich
New Boston, NH. “Early arrival. Is Feb.17 too early?” | Photo: Ben Haubrich
February 2023 Photo: Stephen Fox
Concord, NH. “Winter takes its toll on last year’s nest.” | Photo: Stephen Fox
February 2023 Photo: Leif Tillotson
Swanton, VT. “Lake Champlain sunset.” | Photo: Leif Tillotson
February 2023 Photo: Kirk Gentalen
Tenants Harbor, ME. “Bobcat sliding in snow on ice. Silly kitty.” | Photo: Kirk Gentalen
February 2023 Photo: Tom Grett
Northern Adirondacks, NY. “Some visitors to our bird feeders.” | Photo: Tom Grett
February 2023 Photo: Don Rathbone
Charlestown, RI. “This barred owl stayed the morning in this tree 30 ft. from our back door and only about 8 ft. above the ground even with us going in and out of the house.” | Photo: Don Rathbone
February 2023 Photo: Karinne Heise
Warner, NH. “Tree silhouettes at twilight.” | Photo: Karinne Heise

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