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June 26th, 2026 Reader Photo Gallery

May 2026

Our May reader photos dazzled with late spring blooms, fungi, and wildlife. Mike Collins photographed a fuzzy baby woodcock in Orange, Vermont; Joyce Layne sidestepped a large milk snake in the Caribou-Speckled Wilderness of Maine, and Lyra Johnson-Fuller spotted fringed polygala for the first time in Amherst, Massachusetts.

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

Blue heron Photo: Robert Piepsny
Chagrin Falls, OH. “Blue heron at LaDue Reservoir.” | Photo: Robert Piepsny
Dragonfly Photo: Hannah Proctor
Francestown, NH. “Dragonfly emergence.” | Photo: Hannah Proctor
Ladys slipper Photo: Sheri Larsen
Burlington, VT. “Yellow lady’s slipper in the forest.” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
Yellowthroat Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Haneyville, PA. “Common yellowthroats are abundant in the dense understory stands of mountain laurel in central Pennsylvania.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Shelterwood landing Photo: Alex Barrett
Marlboro, VT. “A forwarder bringing down a handsome load of wood to a landing as we remove the overstory on a successful shelterwood.” | Photo: Alex Barrett
Toad Photo: Amy Quist
Heath, MA. “A toad and a dandelion emerge from the lawn.” | Photo: Amy Quist
Hummingbird Photo: Ashley Collins
Orange, VT. “Ruby throated hummingbird.” | Photo: Ashley Collins
Bog laurel Photo: Tammis Coffin
Millinocket, ME. “Blooming bog laurel with eastern pine elfin butterfly (it was larger than the penny-size rare bog elfin). Butterfly ID confirmed by Bryan Pfeiffer of Chasing Nature Substack.” | Photo: Tammis Coffin
Red eft Photo: Bill Kempey
Sandyston, NJ. “Red eft in leaf litter.” | Photo: Bill Kempey
Bear tree Photo: Sandy Miklas Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Small black bear scooched up a tree (and we watched him scooch back down!).” | Photo: Sandy Miklas Dannis
Mount Greylock Photo: Cosmo Catalano
Williamstown, MA. “Mt Greylock and sisters overlooking Sheep Hill.” | Photo: Cosmo Catalano
Barren strawberry Photo: Ken Hatch
Bethel, VT. “The Appalachian barren-strawberry is listed as rare in CT, MA, ME, and NH and more common in VT according to the book Wildflowers of New England by Ted Elliman and the Native Plant Trust.” | Photo: Ken Hatch
Tree swallows Photo: Richard Philben
Shelburne, MA. “Tree swallows looking for some dinner on Dragon Pond in Shelburne.” | Photo: Richard Philben
Wild geranium Photo: Dawn Brooks
Great Barrington, MA. “Wild geranium attracting the attention of a hoverfly, one of the many pollinators it supports.” | Photo: Dawn Brooks
Turkey vulture Photo: Robert Piepsny
Chagrin Falls, OH. “Turkey vulture stopping for some roadside lunch.” | Photo: Robert Piepsny
Waterleaf Photo: Judy Sweet
Buckland, MA. “Virginia waterleaf blooming in the woods near home.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
Fern Photo: Susan Lichty
Acworth, NH. “The unfurling.” | Photo: Susan Lichty
Baby squirrels Photo: Jay Remington
Plymouth, NH. “Fearless baby squirrels nibbling on acorns.” | Photo: Jay Remington
Sunset Photo: Sharon Bombard
Adams, MA. “Beautiful sunset on Mount Greylock, taken from my back porch.” | Photo: Sharon Bombard
Marsh marigolds Photo: Jo Dorr
Adamant, VT. “Marsh marigold near Sodom Pond.” | Photo: Jo Dorr
Warbler Photo: Sheri Larsen
Colchester, VT. “Yellow-rumped warbler.” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
Milk snake Photo: Joyce Layne
Caribou-Speckled Wilderness, ME. “Surprised to find this full-grown milk snake on a mountain rock slab. I gave it a wide berth.” | Photo: Joyce Layne
Early saxifrage Photo: Liz Thompson
Burlington, VT. “Early saxifrage.” | Photo: Liz Thompson
Dalton mountain Photo: Sandy Miklas Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Looking north up the Connecticut River Valley from Dalton Mountain.” | Photo: Sandy Miklas Dannis
Meadow rue Photo: Lynette Reep
Burlington, VT. “Meadow rue, an early spring ephemeral. It is dioecious (separate male and female plants). On the left, female meadow rue in flower. On the right is male; on my walks I have seen about four times as many males as females.” | Photo: Lynette Reep
Warbler Photo: Marie Rainville
Franklin, VT. “Tennessee warbler. Spent a week trying to spot these warblers, I finally found a spot where they were feeding.” | Photo: Marie Rainville
Fringed polygala Photo: Lyra Johnson-Fuller
Amherst, MA. “First time discovering fringed polygala aka gaywings (Polygala paucifolia).” | Photo: Lyra Johnson-Fuller
Baby woodcock Photo: Mike Collins
Orange, VT. “Baby woodcock in the sugarwoods.” | Photo: Mike Collins
False morel Photo: Penelope Harris
Cambridge, VT. “False morel on the edge of the woods next to an old tree stump.” | Photo: Penelope Harris
Squirrels Photo: Jill DeVito
Rockingham, VT. “Moving day for the red squirrel family.” | Photo: Jill DeVito
Early azalea Photo: Rachel Courtney
Dublin, NH. “Early azalea, Rhododendron prinophyllum.” | Photo: Rachel Courtney
Waterfall Photo: Sharon Bombard
Williamstown, MA. “The March Cataract on Mt Greylock falls about 30 feet over stone with a bit of a rainbow as an extra on this visit.” | Photo: Sharon Bombard
Long spur violet Photo: Cosmo Catalano
Dalton, MA. “Thriving long-spurred violet.” | Photo: Cosmo Catalano
Blackbird and turtles Photo: Richard Philben
Shelburne, MA. “A female red-wing blackbird hanging around a couple of painted turtles.” | Photo: Richard Philben
Spring beauty Photo: Ken Hatch
Leicester, VT. “Carolina spring beauty in the Green Mountain National Forest. A common, but always beautiful, early spring wildflower.” | Photo: Ken Hatch
Glacial erratic Photo: Ellen Simard
Lynn, MA. “Glacial erratic along Boulder Path, Lynn Woods Reservation.” | Photo: Ellen Simard
Maidenhair fern Photo: Sandy Miklas Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Maidenhair fern (Adiantum) unfurls.” | Photo: Sandy Miklas Dannis
Bear family Photo: Dawn Brooks
Williamstown, MA. “A black bear and her three cubs graze on tender spring grasses and forbs.” | Photo: Dawn Brooks
Morels Photo: Sue Walters
Pittsfield, MA. “It’s like a treasure hunt every spring when the morels start appearing!” | Photo: Sue Walters
Owl eating snake Photo: Igor Zlokarnik
Natick, MA. “Barred owl eating garter snake.” | Photo: Igor Zlokarnik
Baneberry Photo: Judy Sweet
Buckland, MA. “Baneberry flowering in early May.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
Blueberry ridge trail Photo: Joyce Layne
Caribou-Speckled Wilderness, ME. “Love the green and blue hues of late spring on the Blueberry Ridge trail looking out to the White Mountains of New Hampshire.” | Photo: Joyce Layne
Haircap moss Photo: Rachel Courtney
Dublin, NH. “Bristly haircap moss, Polytrichum piliferum. The male plants have produced red rosette splash cups that will, with the aid of raindrops, launch sperm to the female plants.” | Photo: Rachel Courtney
Salamanders Photo: John Roberts
Cornwall, VT. “A pair of salamanders under a pile of wood I was loading in the woods to bring home for next winter.” | Photo: John Roberts
Sunset Photo: Leif Tillotson
Burlington, VT. “Sunset.” | Photo: Leif Tillotson
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