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January 2025

Snow patterns and tracks were the subjects of January, along with another round of birds and ice formations. Ann Pearce of Williston, Vermont, discovered intricate frost patterns on her windows, Ford Stevenson found an acorn stashed in a beech tree in Wayne, Maine, and Karen Suhrhoff spied an adorable red morph screech owl in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

We’re looking for February 2025 photos that relate to northeastern forests. Readers may submit up to three photos for consideration.

February Gallery Submission Deadline: Friday, February 28, 2025. This gallery appears in our bi-weekly e-newsletter. Sign up here!

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

Red morph screech owl Photo: Karen Suhrhoff
Cambridge, MA. “Red morph screech owl is ready to hunt with her eyes open!” | Photo: Karen Suhrhoff
Ice skier Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Trout Run, PA. “Skier crossing Rose Valley Lake.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Beaver tree Photo: Tammis Coffin
Lenox, MA. “January 15 - bright colors of beaver-gnawed trees - chips fall on fresh snow. I return for the artist’s new works, but the pond freezes hard and no new art appears.” | Photo: Tammis Coffin
Frozen windows Photo: Ann Pearce
Winooski, VT. A study of ice on old windows. | Photo: Ann Pearce
Cardinal Photo: Alice Webb
Worcester, MA. “Female cardinal in a witch-hazel tree.” | Photo: Alice Webb
Sun pillar Photo: Ken Hatch
Bethel, VT. “Early morning sun pillar. Sun pillars are a shaft of light extending vertically above the sun, usually at sunrise or sunset. They are caused by ice crystals slowly falling through the air, reflecting the sun’s rays off of them.” | Photo: Ken Hatch
Winter barn Photo: Sandy Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Old New Hampshire barn against Vermont mountains.” | Photo: Sandy Dannis
Rodent tracks Photo: Dawn Brooks
Southfield, MA. “A rodent track weaving gracefully in and out of the snow.” | Photo: Dawn Brooks
Woodpecker Photo: Christine Young
New Milford, CT. “Red-bellied woodpecker on a cold, crisp day.” | Photo: Christine Young
Otter tracks Photo: Karinne Heise
Warner, NH. “Tracks of three otters on a snow-covered pond.” | Photo: Karinne Heise
Acorn stashed Photo: Ford Stevenson
Wayne, ME. “Acorn stashed in a beech tree cavity.” | Photo: Ford Stevenson
Frozen pond Photo: Ross Lanius
North Haven, CT. “Finally, a year with deep freezing weather that froze the pond. Snow has been scraped for ice skaters and hockey players.” | Photo: Ross Lanius
Chickadee Photo: Olivia Douhan
Pittsfield, MA. “Chickadee in winter.” | Photo: Olivia Douhan
Frozen branch Photo: Susan Lichty
Lempster, NH. “Frozen in time.” | Photo: Susan Lichty
Grouse flight Photo: John Hadden
Groton, VT. “Grouse tracks and wing imprints in the snow.” | Photo: John Hadden
Sun over water Photo: Leif Tillotson
Swanton, VT. The winter sun over Lake Champlain. | Photo: Leif Tillotson
Tree eyes Photo: Lucia Hackett
Boylston, MA. “The trees have eyes!” | Photo: Lucia Hackett
Sunset on ice Photo: Liz Thompson
Williston, VT. “Sunset on ice - reflections in an icy puddle.” | Photo: Liz Thompson
Short eared owl Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Linden, PA. “Short-eared owls migrate to spend the winter in well managed grasslands.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Orange butterfly milkweed Photo: Judy Sweet
Buckland, MA. “The orange butterfly milkweed plant I acquired last fall had a seed pod forming, which I hoped would mature, and it did. Maybe I'll have more than one plant next summer, if the seeds don't fly too far. Thanks to the folks at Checkerspot Farm.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
Hail storm Photo: Olivia Douhan
Pittsfield, MA. “Hail storm.” | Photo: Olivia Douhan
Chickadee snag Photo: Marian Waterman
New Germany, Nova Scotia, Canada. “Chickadee condo snag in a Nova Scotia forest.” | Photo: Marian Waterman
tufted titmouse Photo: Christine Young
New Milford, CT. “A beautiful tufted titmouse, fluffed up in the snow.” | Photo: Christine Young
Otter tracks Photo: Mark Georgian
Sharon, MA. “Tracks of an otter sliding in fresh snow at Borderland State Park.” | Photo: Mark Georgian
Barred owl Photo: William Scully
Moodus, CT. “Barred owl at Machimoodus State Park.” | Photo: William Scully
Beaver tree Photo: Liz Thompson
Williston, VT. “Beaver love - a silver maple in the Winooski River floodplain, chewed many times.” | Photo: Liz Thompson
Beaver sculpture Photo: Tammis Coffin
Lenox, MA. “January 28 - snow lends vibrance to beaver sculptures. The wood chips appear to have just landed on fresh snow but no new tracks lead to the tree. Snow perhaps melted a bit to uncover?” | Photo: Tammis Coffin
Pileated woodpecker Photo: Christine Young
New Milford, CT. “This pileated woodpecker stayed completely still, aside from blinking, for at least 10 minutes. I started to wonder if it was injured when its mate called from an adjacent tree. Upon hearing the call, this bird turned its head and flew off to meet its friend.” | Photo: Christine Young
Turkeytail stump Photo: Marian Waterman
New Germany, Nova Scotia, Canada. “Turkey tail reclamation of a beaver-gnawed stump.” | Photo: Marian Waterman
Owl snow Photo: Mark Geoffroy
Northfield, MA. “I found this raptor print along the edge of my driveway one morning after a light snow. Looks the bird (an owl?) did a ‘touch-and go’ after missing its prey.” | Photo: Mark Geoffroy
Shortie on branch Photo: Yvonne Mehlenbacher
Avon, NY. “Short-eared owl perched in a roadside tree watching the ditch.” | Photo: Yvonne Mehlenbacher
Frozen river Photo: Richard Philben
Shelburne, MA. “Frozen waterfall on the Deerfield River.” | Photo: Richard Philben
Farm ice Photo: Sandy Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Ice on farm spring.” | Photo: Sandy Dannis
Forest light Photo: Sharon Bombard
Pittsfield, MA. “In the right place at just the right time to see the bright sun streaming through the open woods ahead.” | Photo: Sharon Bombard
Eagles united Photo: Karen Suhrhoff
Kennebunk, ME. “Our favorite local couple reuniting at dusk.” | Photo: Karen Suhrhoff
Trailing arbutus leaves Photo: Judy Sweet
Shelburne, MA. “A little ice doesn't bother the resilient evergreen leaves of trailing arbutus, which remind us where to look for the tiny fragrant flowers in early spring.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
Bird attack Photo: Tom Anderson
Dummerston, VT. “A bird made a killing.” | Photo: Tom Anderson
Barred owl Photo: Olivia Douhan
Pittsfield, MA. “Barred owl in a tree.” | Photo: Olivia Douhan
Owl wingmarks Photo: Leslie Markey
Wardsboro, VT. “Owl wing marks in snow after hunting a mouse or mole below power line.” | Photo: Leslie Markey
Fishing bird Photo: Bill Charlton
Saegertown, PA. “It’s never too cold for a little fishing.” | Photo: Bill Charlton
Shortie on fence Photo: Yvonne Mehlenbacher
Avon, NY. “Shortie on a roadside fence post.” | Photo: Yvonne Mehlenbacher
Resting leaf Photo: Sandy Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Oak leaf rests in snowy forest trail.” | Photo: Sandy Dannis
Bald eagle Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Linden, PA. “Headed south as open water freezes over.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Muskrat hut Photo: Karinne Heise
Webster, NH. “A muskrat hut on a frozen marsh.” | Photo: Karinne Heise
Winter colors Photo: Sue March
Marcellus, NY. “Winter colors at pond edge.” | Photo: Sue March
Owl in flight Photo: Ken Hatch
Bethel, VT. “Barred owl that has been hanging around off and on for a few weeks heading out to another observation post.” | Photo: Ken Hatch
Forest walk Photo: Marian Waterman
New Germany, Nova Scotia, Canada. “Morning sun and foray into a snow-blessed hemlock and red spruce forest.” | Photo: Marian Waterman
Beech bark Photo: Tammis Coffin
Lenox, MA. “Beech bark, already beautiful, then along comes lichen, beaver, snow! And are those thin scratches by squirrels? Beaver upper incisors punch those moon shapes and lowers carve those long lines.” | Photo: Tammis Coffin
Gray morph Photo: Karen Suhrhoff
Franklin Park, MA. “This gray morph screech owl is snoozing cozily in full camouflage in the sunlight.” | Photo: Karen Suhrhoff
Ice volcanoes Photo: Ann Pearce
Winooski, VT. “Ice volcanoes at Leddy Beach, Lake Champlain.” | Photo: Ann Pearce

Submit Your Photographs

We are looking for images taken in the past month. We will select approx. 60 images to feature in each gallery. Considerations include: variety of topics, quality of image, resolution (size), and geographic diversity. Special consideration is also given to first-time photographer submissions.

Three photo submissions per person, please. We regret that we cannot publish all submissions!

Please read and agree to the terms and conditions below, which provide Northern Woodlands a perpetual license to use your photographs. If your photo isn’t selected for our gallery but we wish to use it for another purpose, we will contact you.

If you have trouble submitting your images (such as an error message saying your photo is too large) please email your picture and caption to: Nancy (at) northernwoodlands.org with the email subject line: Reader Photo Submission. Important: Please confirm in your email that you agree to our terms and conditions outlined below.

By checking the box above, you are agreeing to our Reader Photo Gallery Terms and Conditions.