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March 12th, 2025 Reader Photo Gallery

February 2025

This month’s gallery captures the delicate transition from winter to spring, blending the season’s frosty beauty with its earliest signs of renewal. Carol Weatherbee spotted bluebirds bringing a splash of color to Wilmot, New Hampshire, while Liz Thompson observed a luminous full snow moon over Williston, Vermont. In Sharon, Massachusetts, Mark Georgian discovered a tiny yet fascinating fairy shrimp, and Sandy Dannis found a natural valentine in the landscape of Dalton, New Hampshire.

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

1-weatherbee-bluebird.jpg Photo: Carol Weatherbee
Wilmot, NH. “Bluebirds in the snow.” | Photo: Carol Weatherbee
2-brooks-chipmunk-action.jpg Photo: Dawn Brooks
Richmond, MA. “A chipper chipmunk celebrates some warmer weather.” | Photo: Dawn Brooks
3-coffin-moon-tree.jpg Photo: Tammis Coffin
Lenox, MA. Tree waving to the last quarter moon. | Photo: Tammis Coffin
4-schwarz-short-eared-owl.jpg Photo: Charlie Schwarz
South Williamsport, PA. “A wintering short-eared owl carrying its dinner, a meadow vole.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
5-merchant-above-ground-biomass.jpg Photo: Roger Merchant
Millinocket, ME. “Here is a perfect illustration of above ground biomass and the ongoing carbon storage life in a dead conifer after all the needles have gone in Baxter State Park. May the forest be with you, always.” | Photo: Roger Merchant
6-young-cardinal_february.jpg Photo: Christine Young
New Milford, CT. “Northern cardinal wishing for spring.” | Photo: Christine Young
7-clough-looking-up.jpg Photo: Debra Clough
Grafton, NH. “Lookin’ up.” | Photo: Debra Clough
8-dannis-natures-valentine.jpg Photo: Sandy Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Nature’s Valentine.” | Photo: Sandy Dannis
9-hillier-turkey-field.jpg Photo: Brenda Lee Hillier
Stockbridge, VT. “Having fun with turkeys playing in the field.” | Photo: Brenda Lee Hillier
10-hopkins-moon-shadow.jpg Photo: David Hopkins
Stowe, VT. “Moon shadow on snow.” | Photo: David Hopkins
11-brooks-bear-hair.jpg Photo: Dawn Brooks
Richmond, MA. “A black bear’s calling card (tuft of hair) left on a beat-up beech tree. Several trees along this well-worn bear trail bear scratches, bites, and broken limbs of varying vintage.” | Photo: Dawn Brooks
12-larsen-snowy-maple-sugaring.jpg Photo: Sheri Larsen
Stowe, VT. “Interesting to see the layers on top of the maple sugaring holding tank. When the photo was taken, it was not yet time for sugaring to begin.” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
13-mero-bird-snow-angel.jpg Photo: Deb Mero
Erving, MA. “I think this ‘snow angel’ imprint was left by a small hawk sensing there was a meal beneath the newly fallen snow.” | Photo: Deb Mero
14-georgian-fairy-shrimp-ice.jpg Photo: Mark Georgian
Sharon, MA. “Fairy shrimp swimming in a partially thawed vernal pool at Borderland State Park.” | Photo: Mark Georgian
15-nallett-purple-pitcher-plant.jpg Photo: David Nallett
Marlborough, NH. “Purple pitcher plant in a bog.” | Photo: David Nallett
16-thompson-full-snow-moon.jpg Photo: Liz Thompson
Williston, VT. “Full snow moon rising.” | Photo: Liz Thompson
17-lanius-white-throated-sparrow.jpg Photo: Ross Lanius
North Haven, CT. “A white-throated sparrow sheltering in the bushes.” | Photo: Ross Lanius
18-wood-small-opossum.jpg Photo: Gale Wood
Danbury, NH. “Small opossum at the feeder.” | Photo: Gale Wood
19-stocker-ice-tracks.jpg Photo: Wayne Stocker
Agawam, MA. “Tracks on the Westfield River in Robinson State Park.” | Photo: Wayne Stocker
20-houston-owl-impact-crater.jpg Photo: Ned Houston
Waterbury, VT. “Owl impact crater. Meadow skiing and saw this. The skis show the scale.” | Photo: Ned Houston
21-hudson-owl-storm.jpg Photo: Jayden Hudson
Calais, VT. “Barred owl during the snowstorm.” | Photo: Jayden Hudson
22-dewitt-splashing-ice-formations.jpg Photo: John DeWitt
Isle au Haut, ME. “Ice formation from splashing waterfall in brook.” | Photo: John DeWitt
23-heise-dogwood-stems.jpg Photo: Karinne Heise
Hopkinton, NH. “Bright red osier dogwood stems along the Contoocook River.” | Photo: Karinne Heise
24-fournier-male-cardinal.jpg Photo: Jeanette Fournier
Littleton, NH. “Male cardinal visiting our winter feeders.” | Photo: Jeanette Fournier
25-sweet-deerfield-river-view.jpg Photo: Judy Sweet
Shelburne, MA. “The snow-clad Deerfield River winding its way to the Connecticut on a sunny day in early February.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
26-hillier-twin-farms-skiing.jpg Photo: Brenda Lee Hillier
Barnard, VT. “So much fun on our ski hill at Twin Farms Resort.” | Photo: Brenda Lee Hillier
27-schwarz-black-capped-chickadee.jpg Photo: Charlie Schwarz
South Williamsport, PA. “Common mullein provides a good perch for a black-capped chickadee.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
28-larsen-pancake-ice.jpg Photo: Sheri Larsen
Colchester, VT. “Pancake ice! Ice in the shape of pancakes can form when chunks of ice collide in choppy waters (like on windy days on Lake Champlain).” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
29-tillotson-february-radiant-sun.jpg Photo: Leif Tillotson
Highgate, VT. A radiant sunset. | Photo: Leif Tillotson
30-young-white-throated-sparrow.jpg Photo: Christine Young
New Milford, CT. “White-throated sparrow during an ice storm.” | Photo: Christine Young
31-lanius-february-eagles.jpg Photo: Ross Lanius
Hamden, CT. “A pair of eagles enjoying the evening sunset.” | Photo: Ross Lanius
32-dannis-mount-lafayette.jpg Photo: Sandy Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Mount Lafayette channels White Mountain School painting.” | Photo: Sandy Dannis
33-thompson-crows-compost.jpg Photo: Liz Thompson
Williston, VT. “Crows on compost.” | Photo: Liz Thompson
34-hillier-vermont-sunset.jpg Photo: Brenda Lee Hillier
Stockbridge, VT. “Loving life in Vermont, Pico at sunset.” | Photo: Brenda Lee Hillier
35-georgian-pitcher-plant-winter.jpg Photo: Mark Georgian
Sharon, MA. “A pair of last year’s pitcher plant blossoms on a sphagnum island (Borderland State Park).” | Photo: Mark Georgian
36-nallett-february-bobcat.jpg Photo: David Nallett
Keene, NH. “Bobcat on the hunt.” | Photo: David Nallett
37-philben-monadnock-sunrise.jpg Photo: Richard Philben
Shelburne, MA. “Sunrise with Mt. Monadnock on the left and Mt. Grace on the right.” | Photo: Richard Philben
38-nallett-valentines-bluebird.jpg Photo: David Nallett
Keene, NH. “Bluebird on Valentine’s day.” | Photo: David Nallett
39-bombard-wolf-pine.jpg Photo: Sharon Bombard
Pittsfield, MA. “This old wolf pine sits just off the Wolf Pine Trail (of course!). One of its trunks still towers above the young trees nearby.” | Photo: Sharon Bombard
40-vonvolln-blue-rabbit-urine.jpg Photo: Gary Vonvolln
Cambridge, MA. “Blue rabbit pee caused by eating buckthorn??!!” | Photo: Gary Vonvolln
41-stocker-feeder-watch-hawk.jpg Photo: Wayne Stocker
Westfield, MA. “Hawk on feeder watch, note the Junco in the lower right. The birds just kept coming to the feeder.” | Photo: Wayne Stocker
42-schwarz-raven-harrier.jpg Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Linder, PA. “A common raven harassing a northern harrier.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
43-sweet-cherry-tree-excavations.jpg Photo: Judy Sweet
Shelburne, MA. “It wouldn’t be February without at least one cherry tree. This one’s excavations were especially colorful.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
44-fournier-february-owl.jpg Photo: Jeanette Fournier
Littleton, NH. “Barred owl hunting for food in our yard.” | Photo: Jeanette Fournier
45-tassinari-beaver-artist.jpg Photo: Janice Tassinari
Lenox. MA. “Amazing artistry. Recent beaver chew.” | Photo: Janice Tassinari
46-merchant-late-succession-hardwoods.jpg Photo: Roger Merchant
Elliotsville, ME. “Late succession of northern hardwoods on floodplain west of Barren Mt. and the AT.” | Photo: Roger Merchant
47-young-nuthatch_february.jpg Photo: Christine Young
New Milford, CT. “This clever nuthatch wedged a peanut in the groove of a tree, and then proceeded to casually nibble on its snack.” | Photo: Christine Young
48-larsen-turkey-tail-fungus.jpg Photo: Sheri Larsen
Essex, VT. “Turkey tail fungus on tree surrounded by snow.” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
49-dannis-golden-moment.jpg Photo: Sandy Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Golden moment on Dalton Mountain.” | Photo: Sandy Dannis
50-layne-natures-beauty.jpg Photo: Joyce Layne
North Chatham, NH. “Winter’s beauty along the Leach Link trail.” | Photo: Joyce Layne
Ice water Photo: Judith Dansker
Norfolk, CT. “Ice on water.” | Photo: Judith Dansker
Sunset Photo: Leif Tillotson
Highgate Springs, VT. A vibrant sunset. | Photo: Leif Tillotson
Winter sunset Photo: Mark Georgian
Sharon, MA. “A spring melted a hole in the ice viewed at sunset: Borderland State Park.” | Photo: Mark Georgian
Owl Photo: John DeWitt
Isle au Haut, ME. “Barred owl.” | Photo: John DeWitt

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