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February 16th, 2023 Reader Photo Gallery

January 2023

For a month with a bleak reputation, January 2023 inspired a number of colorful and lively images from our gallery photographers. Frequent topics included winter birds (especially owls), intriguing ice, bright green lichen, and wood cutting – by humans, as well as beavers, porcupines, and pileated woodpeckers. In Chatham, New Hampshire, Becky Knowles discovered bull moose lapping up road salt. Ross Lanius documented the devastation in a Connecticut forest infected with EAB. And on a happier note, in Montpelier, Vermont, John Snell discovered what appears at first glance to be evidence of new species of anti-gravitational beaver. Check out James Hume’s nicely composed shot of a winter stream in Warner, New Hampshire.

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

Summit ice Photo: Jen Adams
Bar Harbor, ME. “Ice encrusted vegetation below Cadillac Mountain summit.” | Photo: Jen Adams
Blue jay Photo: Patrick Stanton
Southborough, MA. “Blue jay in my backyard.” | Photo: Patrick Stanton
Forest firewood Photo: Stephen Crocker
Gloucester, MA. “Turning storm tossed driftwood into firewood reveals a storied past. The tree was once licked by flames of a forest fire.” | Photo: Stephen Crocker
Majestic moose Photo: Lonnie S. Jandreau
Ashland, ME. A majestic bull moose poses for the camera. | Photo: Lonnie S. Jandreau
Red fox Photo: Paul Forlenza
Lincoln, VT. “Red fox on the hunt.” | Photo: Paul Forlenza
Brave dog Photo: Susan Lichty
Lempster, NH. “Out on a limb?” | Photo: Susan Lichty
Ice crystals Photo: John Snell
Montpelier, VT. “Ice along the edges. Rivers were slow to freeze this winter and that allowed a build-up of a couple of inches of ice crystals along the river banks, probably formed as water vapor deposited directly to crystalline form. Beautiful!” | Photo: John Snell
Snowy owl Photo: Larry Litke
Ottawa, Ontario. “Snowy owl taken near Ottawa, Ontario.” | Photo: Larry Litke
Winter mountains Photo: Sandy Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Twins, Garfield, Lafayette and Cannon from a snowmobile viewpoint on Dalton Mountain.” | Photo: Sandy Dannis
Tree moss Photo: Deana Tempest Thomas
Hopkinton, RI. “Lobaria pulmonaria (tree lungwort).” | Photo: Deana Tempest Thomas
Black walnut Photo: Geoffrey Bluh
Deerfield, MA. “Rows of planted black walnut trees are evident from this angle as viewed from the grade of an old electric railroad track from the old days. These trees are on farmland in Deerfield Massachusetts.” | Photo: Geoffrey Bluh
Rime ice Photo: Karinne Heise
Canaan, NH. “Rime ice on Cardigan cairn.” | Photo: Karinne Heise
Barred owl Photo: John DeWitt
Isle au Haut, ME. Barred owl hunting voles. | Photo: John DeWitt
Pond circles Photo: Becky Silvis
Russell, NY. “Pond circles.” | Photo: Becky Silvis
Jelly fungus Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
Lyman, NH. “Leafy jelly fungus fruiting on a dead red oak branch.” | Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
Natural ice Photo: Samantha Wolf
Phelps, NY. “Ontario Pathways along Flint Creek. Natural ice sculpture!” | Photo: Samantha Wolf
Woodpecker excavation Photo: Anne Sicilian
Windham, CT. “Pileated woodpecker excavation.” | Photo: Anne Sicilian
Snowy mountains Photo: Gary Chicoine
Jeffersonville, VT. “Day’s end.” | Photo: Gary Chicoine
Snow chainsaw Photo: Gordon Gould
Waterford, VT. “Harvesting declined balsam fir. The butt rot is cut off in sections until good wood is found. What remains is cut into saw logs.” | Photo: Gordon Gould
Cardinal in snow Photo: Karen Goulet
Epsom, NH. “Watching and waiting for a turn to have a snack of sunflower seeds.” | Photo: Karen Goulet
Cattail Photo: Jen Adams
Campton, NH. “Winter cattail overlooking the Sandwich Range.” | Photo: Jen Adams
Tolland falls Photo: Christy Butler
Otis, MA. “Tolland Reservoir Falls runs only during winter months as they lower the water level, stopping in spring to refill the lake!” | Photo: Christy Butler
Grouse Photo: Jay Remington
Bartlett, NH. “Ruffed grouse.” | Photo: Jay Remington
Young pine Photo: Susan Lichty
Marlow, NH. “Young pine catching flakes.” | Photo: Susan Lichty
Owl at feeder Photo: Deb Clough
Grafton, NH. “Big ol’ barred owl keeping a check on the red squirrels that ravage the bird feeder!!” | Photo: Deb Clough
Winter sledding Photo: Karinne Heise
Warner, NH. “Sledding on the old Mink Hills ski hill.” | Photo: Karinne Heise
Mushrooms Photo: Deana Tempest Thomas
Burriville, RI. “Irpex lacteus and Schizophyllum commune.” | Photo: Deana Tempest Thomas
Striped maple Photo: Sandy Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Striped Maple (Acer pensylvanicum) lives up to its name.” | Photo: Sandy Dannis
Moose Photo: Becky Knowles
Chatham, NH. “Two bull moose have been hanging out on our property for two weeks now. They have been licking road salt.” | Photo: Becky Knowles
White pine Photo: Stephen Fox
Concord, NH. “This otherwise healthy white pine broke under the snow load from the January 23-25 storms.” | Photo: Stephen Fox
Ice flowers Photo: Nancy Halloran
Auburn, NH. “Ice flowers on shore of Tower Hill Pond.” | Photo: Nancy Halloran
Polypore Photo: Ken Hatch
Sharon, VT. “This is tinder polypore growing on a mostly dead beech tree in Sharon Vermont. Tinder polypore can be used as tinder to start fires. The 5,000-year-old Iceman Otzi was discovered carrying four pieces of tinder fungus.” | Photo: Ken Hatch
Grosbeak Photo: Jeannie Killam
Barnard, VT. “Rose-breasted grosbeak (first winter male).” In the photo, you can see the first blush of the red breast patch that will darken in maturity. | Photo: Jeannie Killam
Beaver tree Photo: John Snell
Montpelier, VT. “Got a ladder?! This large willow branch was still hanging from the tree and had dug into the ground below when it fell. That did not stop the beavers from their work!” | Photo: John Snell
Boulder lichen Photo: Jen Adams
Bar Harbor, ME. “Concentric boulder lichen.” | Photo: Jen Adams
Winter deer Photo: Paul Forlenza
Lincoln, VT. “Finding nourishment in deep snow.” | Photo: Paul Forlenza
Dead red oak Photo: Larry Davis
Quabbin Reservoir, MA. “A dead red oak tree with lichen. The previous night it rained hard. The color comes from the water washing off the tree.” Oak bark is high in tannins, and when these compounds mix melting snow, they’ll often create these yellow stains. | Photo: Larry Davis
Logging Photo: Sheri Larsen
Bolton, VT. “A pile of logs from an active logging operation.” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
Colorful sky Photo: Leif Tillotson
St. Albans, VT. Sky and water. | Photo: Leif Tillotson
Otter slide Photo: Linda Spielman
Dryden, NY. “Otter slides on a frozen lake with a rainbow.” | Photo: Linda Spielman
Lichen Photo: Molly Andres
Salisbury, VT. “Winter’s greens.” | Photo: Molly Andres
Witches broom Photo: Stephen Fox
Canterbury, NH. “Not sure what caused this witches broom effect. Dwarf mistletoe?” | Photo: Stephen Fox
Bobcat Photo: John Enright
North Sandwich, NH. “Backyard visitor.” | Photo: John Enright
White pine roots Photo: Al Sorensen
New Salem, MA. “Shallow root system of a white pine.” | Photo: Al Sorensen
Lamprey river Photo: Meredith Lally
Newmarket, NH. “Lamprey River.” | Photo: Meredith Lally
Beetle holes Photo: Susan Lichty
Marlow, NH. “Textured tones.” An oddly artistic view of wood boring beetle exit holes. | Photo: Susan Lichty
Winter mountains Photo: Matt DeLuca
Warren, VT. “Looking north from the Summit of Mount Ellen.” | Photo: Matt DeLuca
Crustose lichens Photo: David Porter
Blue Hill, ME. “Crustose lichens.” | Photo: David Porter
European larch Photo: Ken Hatch
Woodstock, VT. “This is a European larch plantation on the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock Vermont, as seen from the King Farm. It was planted by Fredrick Billings and family in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s.” | Photo: Ken Hatch
Bluebird snack Photo: Larry Litke
Jeffersonville, VT. “A bluebird enjoying a snack of winterberries.” | Photo: Larry Litke
Skiing Photo: Nancy Halloran
Waterville Valley, NH. “Early morning cross-country skiing on Waterville Valley trails.” | Photo: Nancy Halloran
Tree hugging Photo: Sandy Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Amazing veneer ash tree deep in the woods.” | Photo: Sandy Dannis
Polypody ferns Photo: Sheri Larsen
Essex Town, VT. “Polypody ferns with a dusting of snow.” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
Porcupine tree damage Photo: Erik Hoffner
Ashfield, MA. “Porcupine damage on yellow birch.” | Photo: Erik Hoffner
EAB damage Photo: Ross Lanius
Hamden, CT. “The emerald ash borer (EAB) has done extensive damage. Our woods are full dead ash on the ground or still standing ready to fall. Ash near our trails have been cut down.” | Photo: Ross Lanius
Patten wetland Photo: Judy Sweet
Shelburne, MA. “This wetland in the Patten district is a beautiful spot in all seasons, but even more magical after a snowfall.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
Eagle Photo: Lonnie S. Jandreau
Ashland, ME. Regal eagle. | Photo: Lonnie S. Jandreau
Timber harvest Photo: Gordon Gould
Waterford, VT. “Harvesting declining trees increases the vigor of the remaining forest. Fir saw logs gleaned from overly mature trees.” | Photo: Gordon Gould
Hemlock heartwood Photo: Sue Mayotte
Deerfield, NH. “Heartwood exposed on a hemlock created by a pileated woodpecker.” | Photo: Sue Mayotte
Bird box Photo: Ross Lanius
North Haven, CT. “Have you cleaned out your bird boxes?” | Photo: Ross Lanius
Ice flow Photo: James Hume
Warner, NH. “The Flow.” | Photo: James Hume
Owl in tree Photo: John DeWitt
Isle au Haut, ME. “This barred owl was successfully hunting voles on a sunny January afternoon.” | Photo: John DeWitt
Wood stain Photo: Ken Hatch
Thetford, VT. “This is box elder wood which had been cut out of Buzzell Bridge Road. Boxelder wood red stain is thought to be produced in response to nonspecific wounding.” | Photo: Ken Hatch
Adirondack coyote Photo: Don Wharton
New York. “Adirondack coyote roaming a deer yard on Sacandaga River.” | Photo: Don Wharton
Trailing arbutus Photo: Judy Sweet
Shelburne, MA. “The leaves of MA state flower trailing arbutus are easy to spot in winter and note for future flower sightings in early spring.” | Photo: Judy Sweet

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