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March 17th, 2024 Reader Photo Gallery

February 2024

Your February photos showed winter mammal and bird activity, ice formations, and the first glimmerings of spring, including boiling sap, blooming witch hazel, and turtles back in the sun. In Blue Hill, Maine, Si Balch discovered a spectacular ice cone formation. In Heath, Massachusetts, Amy Quist was momentarily fooled by porcupine “bark,” and in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Charlie Schwarz got up close and personal with a jumping spider. Be sure to check out Dawn Brook’s photo of a bear nest.

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

February 2024 Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
Tenants Harbor, ME. “Yellow fairy cups - Bisporella citrina - on a warm February day.” | Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
February 2024 Photo: Danielle Durocher
Piscataquis County, ME. “Northern hawk owl.” | Photo: Danielle Durocher
February 2024 Photo: Katie
Huntingdon, PA. “First skunk cabbage of the year.” | Photo: Katie
February 2024 Photo: Ellen Rennie
Bethlehem, NH. “Winter shadow trails.” | Photo: Ellen Rennie
February 2024 Photo: Asheley Cole
Eastern Colrain, MA. “A beautiful northern cardinal suspended off the ground against the cold winter whites and blues.” | Photo: Asheley Cole
February 2024 Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Elimsport, PA. “British soldiers are one of the most colorful lichens.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
February 2024 Photo: Mollie Babize
Ashfield, MA. Witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana. “Ready for early pollinators! A sure sign spring will come.” | Photo: Mollie Babize
February 2024 Photo: Nancy Allen
Elka Park, NY. “Ice in the Schoharie Creek.” | Photo: Nancy Allen
February 2024 Photo: Amy Quist
Heath, MA. “Porcupine bark. It had me fooled from a distance.” | Photo: Amy Quist
February 2024 Photo: Stephen Fox
Canterbury, NH. “Yellow-bellied sapsucker exploratory bands.” | Photo: Stephen Fox
February 2024 Photo: Ken Hatch
Windsor, VT. “A very surprising sighting of painted turtles enjoying the sun of a 60-degree day on February 27, 2024 at Lake Runnemede, Paradise Park.” | Photo: Ken Hatch
February 2024 Photo: Amy Johnson
Lake Luzerne, NY. “A beautiful barred owl on the hunt.” | Photo: Amy Johnson
February 2024 Photo: Sheri Larsen
Colchester, VT. “Ice Fishing on Colchester Pond - before the high temps this month melted the ice!” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
February 2024 Photo: Judy Sweet
Buckland, MA. “The woodland spirits are watching over us.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
February 2024 Photo: Si Balch
Blue Hill, ME. “Ice cone in brook created as a result of dropping water levels and dropping temperature.” | Photo: Si Balch
February 2024 Photo: Scotty Gladstone
East Meredith, NY. “Maple sap boils in the early morning on February 12th.” | Photo: Scotty Gladstone
February 2024 Photo: Steven Arcone
West Lebanon, NH. “Flocs of frazil ice frozen against a large boulder in Trout Brook.” | Photo: Steven Arcone
February 2024 Photo: Cathy C. Weil
Milford, MI. “Helloooo. Anyone in there? Red-bellied woodpecker. We have not had many snow days in our area of Michigan, so when it started snowing I went to nearby Kensington Metro Park to try my luck at some winter bird photos.” | Photo: Cathy C. Weil
February 2024 Photo: Dawn Brooks
Richmond, MA. “Valentine’s Day woodland art.” | Photo: Dawn Brooks
February 2024 Photo: Caroline Tricker
Stowe, VT. “Ruffed grouse in crab apple tree.” | Photo: Caroline Tricker
February 2024 Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
Tenants Harbor, ME. “Red fox.” | Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
February 2024 Photo: Ellen Rennie
Bethlehem, NH. “Fresh moose tracks and a northern flicker feather.” | Photo: Ellen Rennie
February 2024 Photo: Karinne Heise
Warner, NH. “A tufted titmouse preparing for takeoff.” | Photo: Karinne Heise
February 2024 Photo: Susan Lichty
Lempster, NH. “Ice puzzle.” | Photo: Susan Lichty
February 2024 Photo: Tom Grett
Northern Adirondacks, NY. “Snowy deer.” | Photo: Tom Grett
February 2024 Photo: Sandy Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Birch transforms.” | Photo: Sandy Dannis
February 2024 Photo: Jeanette Fournier
Littleton, NH. “Pine siskin during the February backyard bird count.” | Photo: Jeanette Fournier
February 2024 Photo: Wayne Stocker
Agawam, MA. “Skunk cabbage spikes through ice in early February.” | Photo: Wayne Stocker
February 2024 Photo: Joyce Layne
South Chatham, NH. “Nature’s artwork with a window to the other side.” | Photo: Joyce Layne
February 2024 Photo: Ken Bridges
East Haven, VT. “Check out the geometry. Another one just like it further up on white birch stub.” | Photo: Ken Bridges
February 2024 Photo: Dawn Brooks
Richmond, MA. “Black bear nest at base of hemlock tree, lined with hemlock twigs, beech branches and leaves - and surrounded by several large (bird seed filled) scats.” | Photo: Dawn Brooks
February 2024 Photo: Charlie Schwarz
South Williamsport, PA. “The dimorphic jumping spider is common in buildings — males are found in two different color patterns which court females differently.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
February 2024 Photo: Sheri Larsen
Colchester, VT. “Beavers at work! Several other trees had toppled over after beavers had gnawed on them.” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
February 2024 Photo: Ken Bridges
East Haven, VT. “Visiting ermine taking care of the mice population.” | Photo: Ken Bridges
February 2024 Photo: Stephen Fox
Canterbury, NH. “While stopped on the trail, a slight movement caught my eye. A spider, about a millimeter small, ascended its silk and entered its winter home.” | Photo: Stephen Fox
February 2024 Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
Tenants Harbor, ME. “Rodent (likely vole) skull from a great horned owl pellet. Nice dentition.” | Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
February 2024 Photo: Sharon Bombard
Adams, MA. “Downy woodpecker chased by a hawk thumped into my window and landed on the porch roof. I stayed nearby as she was a sitting duck (downy) if the hawk was still around. Seemed tiny so close up. Luckily unhurt, she flew off to the nearby trees soon after.” | Photo: Sharon Bombard
February 2024 Photo: Terryanne Maenza-Gmelch
Tuxedo, NY. “White pine.” | Photo: Terryanne Maenza-Gmelch
February 2024 Photo: Sharon Bombard
Richmond, MA. “Beard lichen.” | Photo: Sharon Bombard
February 2024 Photo: Scotty Gladstone
East Meredith, NY. “Red fox takes a break from mousing in a hay bale.” | Photo: Scotty Gladstone
February 2024 Photo: Karinne Heise
Gilford, NH. “Snow stripes on the north side of Piper Mountain trees.” | Photo: Karinne Heise
February 2024 Photo: Sandy Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Overwintering cocoon.” | Photo: Sandy Dannis
February 2024 Photo: Judy Sweet
Shelburne, MA. “Nature created artwork at the Glacial Potholes in Shelburne Falls.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
February 2024 Photo: Tom Grett
Northern Adirondacks, NY. “A friendly little chickadee in the northern Adirondacks.” | Photo: Tom Grett
February 2024 Photo: Lee Toomey
Burlington, VT. “Icicles revealing cracks in dolostone.” | Photo: Lee Toomey
February 2024 Photo: Leif Tillotson
Swanton, VT. “Sap buckets skirt a very large maple.” | Photo: Leif Tillotson
February 2024 Photo: Linda J. Spielman
Dryden, NY. “Coyote tracks on frozen pond.” | Photo: Linda J. Spielman
February 2024 Photo: Mollie Babize
Ashfield, MA. “History along the Bear River in Ashfield (initially called Huntstown).” | Photo: Mollie Babize
February 2024 Photo: Matty DeLuca
North Marshfield, MA. “Two bluebirds eating suet out of an orange at our outside Christmas tree.” | Photo: Matty DeLuca
February 2024 Photo: Nancy Halloran
Haverhill, MA. “Very active beaver lodge on shore of Cristal Lake.” | Photo: Nancy Halloran
February 2024 Photo: Alex Barrett
Westminster, VT. “A purposeful mess in an NRCS Early Successional Habitat project —creating structure and habitat for wildlife in an old field pine stand.” | Photo: Alex Barrett
February 2024 Photo: Charlie Schwarz
South Williamsport, PA. “Lesser scaups are often found on freshwater lakes and ponds. This pair was on a beaver pond adjacent to a large wetland.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
February 2024 Photo: Tim Larsen
Moretown, VT. “Wasp nest.” | Photo: Tim Larsen
February 2024 Photo: Harry Gornto
Sag Harbor, NY. “Pincushion moss at Trout Pond Park in Sag Harbor.” | Photo: Harry Gornto
February 2024 Photo: Richard Philben
Shelburne, MA. “A solitary birch tree brightening up the neighborhood!” | Photo: Richard Philben
February 2024 Photo: Susan Lichty
Lempster, NH. “Club moss in the spotlight.” | Photo: Susan Lichty
February 2024 Photo: Steven Arcone
West Lebanon, NH. “Centimeter size tree-like crystals growing from an ice shelf over receding water in Trout Brook, West Lebanon.” | Photo: Steven Arcone
February 2024 Photo: Ken Hatch
Lincoln, NH. “A beautiful 40 plus degree day at The Basin in Franconia Notch State Park.” | Photo: Ken Hatch
February 2024 Photo: Cathy C. Weil
Milford, MI. “Nuthatch during winter snow storm, Kensington Metro Park.” | Photo: Cathy C. Weil
February 2024 Photo: Sheryl Gebauer
Clarendon, VT. “Turtle crawling on pond ice in this warm winter.” | Photo: Sheryl Gebauer
February 2024 Photo: Sandy Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Morning ice on grass.” | Photo: Sandy Dannis
February 2024 Photo: Lee Toomey
Hyde Park, VT. “When a beaver dam becomes an otter’s playground.” | Photo: Lee Toomey
February 2024 Photo: Sheri Larsen
Essex Town, VT. “Strong wind storms in mid-January knocked over some big trees on this trail at Indian Brook Reservoir Park in Essex, Vermont. There was a lot of wind damage, and town crews spent a good while chain-sawing all the trees that fell across the trails.” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
February 2024 Photo: Wayne Stocker
Agawam-Feeding Hills, MA. “Perfect cut – beaver activity on the Westfield River.” | Photo: Wayne Stocker
February 2024 Photo: Anonymous
Thetford Center, VT. “A pileated woodpecker dislodged this tinder polypore conk while excavating larvae from a tree.” | Photo: Anonymous
February 2024 Photo: Sharon Bombard
Williamstown, MA. “Sparkling brook! Bright sun and angle (and my iPhone) created this image (though it has been cropped).” | Photo: Sharon Bombard
February 2024 Photo: Amy Quist
Charlemont, MA. “In search of seeds, this blue jay acquired a snow-ringed bill.” | Photo: Amy Quist
February 2024 Photo: Dawn Brooks
Richmond, MA. “Fisher tracks along a turkey tail fringed log - I love the beauty and adventure of following critter tracks through the woods - one of winter’s joys.” | Photo: Dawn Brooks
February 2024 Photo: Tom Grett
Northern Adirondacks, NY. “A lakeside secluded cove asleep for the winter under a fresh blanket of snow.” | Photo: Tom Grett
February 2024 Photo: Richard Philben
Shelburne, MA. “A snow-capped Mt. Monadnock as seen from 45 miles away in Shelburne.” | Photo: Richard Philben
February 2024 Photo: Steven Arcone
West Lebanon, NH. “Multiple ice shelves exposed after three days of melting and erosion in Trout Brook, West Lebanon.” | Photo: Steven Arcone
February 2024 Photo: Ken Hatch
Hancock, VT. “A winter wonderland at the top of Middlebury Gap in the Green Mountain National Forest.” | Photo: Ken Hatch
February 2024 Photo: Judy Sweet
Buckland, MA. “I came upon this cocoon in the woods, still intact and securely attached to the branch after several February high wind events. Nature astounds.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
February 2024 Photo: Katie
Huntingdon, PA. “Fallen nest.” | Photo: Katie
February 2024 Photo: Terryanne Maenza-Gmelch
Tuxedo, NY. “Hollow stump.” | Photo: Terryanne Maenza-Gmelch

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