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August 5th, 2021 Reader Photo Gallery

July 2021

Many of your July photos had a fungal theme, from Jay Remington’s crowd of Amanitas, to Dan Zucker’s toga mantleslug lounging on a mushroom. Insects – pollinators and otherwise – abounded. Charlie Schwarz sacrificed his arm (or was it someone else’s arm?) for the perfect mosquito shot, and Tami Gingrich dazzled with her close study of a mantidfly. Meanwhile, mere hops from the Northern Woodlands office, Skip Stanger discovered a rare “green-eyed Susan.”

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Loon Photo: Eric D'Aleo
Campton, NH. “This male loon is doing a penguin dance - an aggressive display to defend its territory. There were three intruders this morning.” | Photo: Eric D'Aleo
Tube Slime Photo: Dan Zucker
Northfield Range above Mad River Valley, Moretown, VT. “Chocolate tube slime (Stemonitis splendens).” | Photo: Dan Zucker
Garter snake Photo: Peter Hollinger
South Strafford, VT. “This garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) has to put up with scratching its eyes, but it can shed the damage when it molts.” | Photo: Peter Hollinger
Fungus Photo: Dan Zucker
Northfield Range above Mad River Valley, Moretown, VT. “Smorgasbord of species and colors.” | Photo: Dan Zucker
Mantidfly Photo: Tami Gingrich
Middlefield, OH. “Belonging to the order Neuroptera, the mantidfly is one of the most unique insects. Check out those eyes!” | Photo: Tami Gingrich
Bass Photo: Margaret Manthey
Altmar, NY. “Beautiful largemouth bass caught and released on Kasoag Lake.” | Photo: Margaret Manthey
Spider Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
Lyman, NH. “Nursery web spider (male).” | Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
Black bear Photo: AM Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Black bear enjoying the new clover.” | Photo: AM Dannis
Foothills Photo: Becky Silvis
Russell, NY. “Sunset in the Adirondack foothills.” | Photo: Becky Silvis
Goshawk Photo: Benjamin Wymer
Lakes Region, NH. “This is one bird you do not want to mess with: a northern goshawk.” This is a nest that was being monitored at four week intervals, and which successfully produced a fledgling. (In general, one should avoid goshawk nests, both because it creates significant stress for the birds and because you may end up with a talon-raked scalp.) | Photo: Benjamin Wymer
Frog Photo: Skip Stanger
Hanover, NH. “Green-eyed susan?” | Photo: Skip Stanger
Ghost Plant Photo: Alfred J. Sorensen
Ware, Quabbin Reservoir, MA. “Ghost plant, Indian pipe.” | Photo: Alfred J. Sorensen
Fresh air Photo: Danielle Mattraw
Enosburg Falls, VT. “Freedom and fresh air.” | Photo: Danielle Mattraw
Painted Skimmer Photo: Eric D'Aleo
Clifton Park, NY. “A painted skimmer perched on garden foliage waits for a meal.” | Photo: Eric D'Aleo
Tree Jack Photo: Andrew Sheere
Hartland, VT. “What is going on with this stump?! The logger was using a hydraulic tree jack to fell a tree in a tricky spot.” | Photo: Andrew Sheere
Moth mullein Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
Franconia, NH. “Moth mullein, a non-native, non-invasive species that colonizes poor soils, disturbed areas and along streams and rivers.” | Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
Elk Photo: Charlie Schwarz
South Williamsport, PA. “Bull elk will soon lose their antlers' velvet in preparation for the rut in September.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Carrion flowers Photo: Garry Plunkett
Tiverton, RI. “Tiny starbursts of carrion flowers - smilax herbacea.” | Photo: Garry Plunkett
Mushrooms Photo: Clare Lise Kelly
Lee, MA. “Mushrooms growing on a tree trunk.” | Photo: Clare Lise Kelly
Nuthatch Photo: Peter Hollinger
South Strafford, VT. “Fledgling red-breasted nuthatches learn to use a suet feeder.” | Photo: Peter Hollinger
Milkweed beetles Photo: Margaret Manthey
Marietta, NY. “Red milkweed beetles in a private moment.” | Photo: Margaret Manthey
Seedlings Photo: James Airey
Salisbury, NH. “First year white pine seedlings that germinated after a timber harvest.” | Photo: James Airey
Wood Ducks Photo: Sheri Larsen
Colchester, VT. “A female wood duck and her young.” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
Bluebird Nest Photo: Brian Sweitzer
Monson, MA. “A successful Eastern bluebird nest with fledglings now on their own.” | Photo: Brian Sweitzer
Catfish Photo: Kevin McDonough
Lake Placid, NY. “School of catfish fry at the shoreline of Heart Lake.” If you look closely, you can see the tell-tale barbels (“whiskers”) on some of them. | Photo: Kevin McDonough
Gooseberries Photo: AM Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Gooseberries, remnants from an old farm, are ripe for the picking.” | Photo: AM Dannis
Deer Photo: Nate Rosebrooks
South Trescott, ME. “Rise and shine: a doe and her two yearling daughters.” | Photo: Nate Rosebrooks
Mushrooms Photo: Jay Remington
Bedford, MA. Amanita mushrooms. “With rain almost every day in July, our woodlands are bursting with huge mushrooms.” | Photo: Jay Remington
Owls Photo: Benjamin Wymer
Campton, NH. “You never know WHOOO is watching...I ran into these two little buddies on a trail: a pair of fledgling northern saw whet owls! When I say little, I mean these guys stood not even 7 inches tall!” | Photo: Benjamin Wymer
Cecropia Photo: Cheryl Metcalf
Tunbridge, VT. “Larva of cecropia moth moving across a stump.” | Photo: Cheryl Metcalf
Mushroom Photo: Stephen Fox
Concord, NH. “I had to check the stem to make sure this was real. It glistened in the sunlight as if made of porcelain. I'm told it's called a violet webcap. It's edibility is debatable.” | Photo: Stephen Fox
Pitch Pine Photo: Geoffrey Bluh
Montague, MA. “Pitch pine forest in the Montague Plains after some managed cutting and thinning in recent years. This forest in Western MA, located on a sand delta, is the only other place in MA, other than Cape Cod, that has this type of forest new growth in it.” | Photo: Geoffrey Bluh
Towhee Photo: Charlie Schwarz
South Williamsport, PA. “Rufous-sided towhees (here a male) are abundant in the oak-heath forests of Pennsylvania.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Sweat bee Photo: Ross Lanius
North Haven, CT. “This striped sweat bee on a black-eyed Susan caught my eye, a green head!” | Photo: Ross Lanius
Fog Mountain Photo: Eric D'Aleo
Campton, NH. “Fog lifts from the water with a view of Prospect Mountain.” | Photo: Eric D'Aleo
Spider Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
Lyman, NH. “Female nursery web spider guarding its egg sac.” | Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
Chicken of the Woods Photo: Clare Lise Kelly
Lee, MA. “Chicken of the woods.” | Photo: Clare Lise Kelly
Monarch Photo: Jack Nelson
Plainfield, MA. “Chubby monarch caterpillar on July 1.” | Photo: Jack Nelson
Seventh Lake Photo: John W. Blaser
Brewster, NY. “Seventh Lake, Essex Chain Lakes, Adirondacks.” | Photo: John W. Blaser
Loon Family Photo: Erika Senglaub
Woodgate, NY. “Loon family on White Lake.” | Photo: Erika Senglaub
Owl Photo: Lori McDonough
Jay, NY. “Immature barred owl takes a break on top of our covered chiminea.” | Photo: Lori McDonough
Contoocook Photo: Karinne Heise
Hopkinton, NH. “On the Contoocook River after a thunderstorm.” | Photo: Karinne Heise
Deer Photo: John Ford
Laconia, NH. “Lazy hot and humid day - content to just watch us watch him.” | Photo: John Ford
Catbirds Photo: Karen Goulet
Epsom, New Hampshire. “Catbird nest.” | Photo: Karen Goulet
Spider Photo: Julia Hanauer-Milne
Sidney, ME. “This jumping spider…surprised me in the garden today. I’ve never seen one this big.” | Photo: Julia Hanauer-Milne
Luna Moths Photo: Laura Gagnon
Thetford, VT. “We were on the class IV road up Potato Hill in Thetford, Vermont when we came across this pair of luna moths. At first I was concerned because one of them had what I thought was a damaged wing. Upon further investigation, we learned they emerge with wrinkled wings and take several hours to smooth out!” | Photo: Laura Gagnon
Phoebe Photo: Marie Martell
My back yard, NH. “Phoebe nest under the eve.” | Photo: Marie Martell
Slug Photo: Robert Becker
Galway, NY. “Emerging mushroom with slug.” | Photo: Robert Becker
Bats Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Linden, PA. Big brown bats roosting in an old barn. | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Kestrel Photo: Tami Gingrich
Middlefield, OH. “American kestrel fledgling.” | Photo: Tami Gingrich
Swallowtail Photo: Ross Lanius
North Haven, CT. A worse-for-wear swallowtail butterfly perches on a butterfly bush. | Photo: Ross Lanius
Chanterelle Photo: Sheri Larsen
Essex Town, VT. “Chanterelle mushrooms that popped up in the woods after a few rainy days.” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
Caterpillars Photo: Tami Gingrich
Middlefield, OH. “When the luna moth caterpillar is ready to make a cocoon, it turns from a lime green to a dirty gold and begins to search for a secluded spot.” | Photo: Tami Gingrich
Polypores Photo: Matthew Davis
Bucksport, ME. “Dyer's polypore with sarsaparilla and white pine.” | Photo: Matthew Davis
Cicadas Photo: Susan Lichty
Lempster, NH. “Cicada shell and insect.” | Photo: Susan Lichty
Sparrow Photo: Sheri Larsen
Colchester, VT. “A very wet song sparrow singing away. The sparrow must have just taken a bath in the lake because it hadn't been raining.” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
Mantle slug Photo: Dan Zucker
Northfield Range above Mad River Valley, Moretown, VT. “A toga mantleslug (Philomycus togatus) taking a nap after a heavy meal.” | Photo: Dan Zucker
Butterfly Photo: Robert Becker
Tewksbury, NJ. A sulphur butterfly enjoying lavender nectar. | Photo: Robert Becker
Morning Mist Photo: Clare Lise Kelly
Richmond, MA. “Morning mist.” | Photo: Clare Lise Kelly
Spider Photo: AM Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Flower crab spider (Misumena) attempts to camouflage on a bindweed (Convolvulus) flower.” | Photo: AM Dannis
Canada Lily Photo: Peggy Warwick
Conway, MA. “Canada lily among ferns.” | Photo: Peggy Warwick
Curious owls Photo: Karinne Heise
Warner, NH. “A pair of curious barred owls.” | Photo: Karinne Heise
Fawn Photo: AM Dannis
Dalton, NH. “White-tailed fawn striking a pose while Mom watches just out of the frame.” | Photo: AM Dannis
Moth Photo: Charlie Schwarz
South Williamsport, PA. “One of the most colorful northeastern moths, a rosy maple moth, was attracted to the light from our living room.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Mosquito Photo: Charlie Schwarz
South Williamsport, PA. “A female common house mosquito needs a blood meal to produce viable eggs.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Hawk Photo: Chuck Dinsmore
Damariscotta, ME. “Broad-winged hawk in Jefferson, ME, letting me know who 'owns the woodlands'!!” | Photo: Chuck Dinsmore
Brook Photo: Clare Lise Kelly
Lee, MA. “Basin Pond Brook.” | Photo: Clare Lise Kelly
Pickerel Weed Photo: Eric D'Aleo
Campton, NH. “To all insects - beware the pickerel weed.” | Photo: Eric D'Aleo
Milkweed Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
Hamden, CT. “Orange milkweed (butterfly milkweed) found in dry woodlands and fields.” | Photo: Frank Kaczmarek
Leafcutter bee Photo: Tami Gingrich
Middlefield, OH. “A leafcutter bee cuts pieces from a spent swamp milkweed leaf.” | Photo: Tami Gingrich

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