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November 17th, 2025 Reader Photo Gallery

October 2025

October lit up the landscape with a last, brilliant burst of color, while wildlife adjusted to shorter days and cooler temperatures. A diving beetle was still on the move, captured by Christine Young in Woodbury, Connecticut. Sandy Dannis spotted snow in New Hampshire’s Presidential Range, and in Bethel, Vermont, a spring peeper made one last appearance, observed by Ken Hatch.

The November Reader Photo Gallery will appear shortly, stay-tuned!

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

December Gallery Submission Deadline: Wednesday, December 31, 2025. This gallery appears in our biweekly e-newsletter. Sign up here!

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

Gray squirrel Photo: Charlie Schwarz
South Williamsport, PA. “Gray squirrels are one of the major means of regenerating oak and hickory forests as they bury nuts that are never recovered.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Autumn dogs Photo: Bill-lee Abbott
Plymouth, NH. “Sunrise at Loon Lake.” | Photo: Bill-lee Abbott
Herb robert Photo: Tammis Coffin
Pittsfield, MA. “Herb Robert – a surprise in the woods at Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, blooming after two frosts.” | Photo: Tammis Coffin
Snow mountains Photo: Sandy Miklas Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Early snow in the Presidentials. Winter will be here before you know it!” | Photo: Sandy Miklas Dannis
Bald eagle Photo: Stephen Fox
Webster, NH. “Bald eagle at Walker Pond.” | Photo: Stephen Fox
Aster Photo: Georgia Martin
Lenox, MA. “A bi-colored agapostemon or bi-colored striped sweat bee on purple asters.” | Photo: Georgia Martin
Tamarack Photo: Scotty Gladstone
East Meredith, NY. “Needles turning on a tamarack tree.” | Photo: Scotty Gladstone
Cicada shell Photo: Liz Thompson
Williston, VT. “Cicada nymph shell at sunrise.” | Photo: Liz Thompson
Sparrow Photo: Carol Roede
Lincoln, MA. “A white-throated sparrow enjoys a berry from one of many winterberry holly bushes flourishing in the swamp.” | Photo: Carol Roede
Highland center pond Photo: Cosmo Catalano
Crawford Notch, NH. “Pond at AMC Highland Center.” | Photo: Cosmo Catalano
Yellow leaves Photo: Sue Cloutier
New Salem, MA. “The bright yellow in the forest openings in fall.” | Photo: Sue Cloutier
Diving beetle Photo: Christine Young
Woodbury, CT. “Despite the cooler temperatures, I found this predaceous diving beetle along with many other insects, still active in a small, woodland pond.” | Photo: Christine Young
Irregular earth tongue Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
Vinalhaven, ME. “Irregular earth tongue (Neolecta irregularis). My friend Kat says this one looks like a candle, but I don't know about candles.” | Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
Porcupine Photo: Carolyn E. Wheeler
Shelburne Falls, MA. “This porcupine must have encountered another animal. Likely the other one got the spiky part of the meeting!” | Photo: Carolyn E. Wheeler
Squirrel cache Photo: Penelope Harris
Cambridge, VT. “A squirrel cache in a perfect tiny bark cup.” | Photo: Penelope Harris
October peeper Photo: Ken Hatch
Bethel, VT. “Spring peeper that came out for a nice warm early October day.” | Photo: Ken Hatch
Evening light Photo: Don JJ Maki
Brewster, MA. “Incoming tide at Quivet Creek while fly-fishing for stripers.” | Photo: Don JJ Maki
Autumn Photo: David Nallett
Harrisville, NH. “Maybe the last time out on Nubanusit Brook Reservoir.” | Photo: David Nallett
Egrets Photo: Ross Lanius
Madison, CT. “Found two great egrets foraging in the Salt Marsh at Hammonasset State Park. The red is Virginia glasswort. The leaves are edible.” | Photo: Ross Lanius
Witch hazel Photo: Gwen Nagel
Bridgton, ME. “Delicate witch-hazel blooms in October.” | Photo: Gwen Nagel
Heron Photo: Richard Philben
Whittingham, VT. “A heron surveying the pond from its perch.” | Photo: Richard Philben
Goldenrods Photo: Hannah McGhee
Nobleboro, ME. “Caught these male bumble bees snoozing on a goldenrod flower one recent chilly morning.” | Photo: Hannah McGhee
Colorful hills Photo: Penelope Harris
Cambridge, VT. Still a lot of color in the hills. | Photo: Penelope Harris
Autumn color Photo: Karinne Heise
Warner, NH. “Late October puddle reflections.” | Photo: Karinne Heise
Wildlife camera Photo: Jeffrey Kiplinger
Hudson, NY. “I shot a small buck during early bow season and put a game camera on the gut pile. Had several mature and immature bald eagles, but this shot was a surprise!” | Photo: Jeffrey Kiplinger
Frost Photo: Jen Adams
Campton, NH. “First frost on bee balm.” | Photo: Jen Adams
Fruiting hawthorne Photo: Judy Sweet
Shelburne, MA. “Hawthorn tree loaded with fruit, which ripens in fall and can be a good food source for wildlife all winter.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
Wildlife Photo: Stephen J. Poklemba
Brattleboro, VT. “Wildfire.” | Photo: Stephen J. Poklemba
Hooded owlet Photo: Katherine Fiveash
Isle au Haut, ME. “Goldenrod hooded owlet moth caterpillar.” | Photo: Katherine Fiveash
Otter spraint Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
Vinalhaven, ME. “Otter spraint on seaside goldenrod. The yin and yang of nature at its finest!” | Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
Fern Photo: Sheri Larsen
Bolton, VT. “Interesting color patterns on the leaves of this interrupted fern. There are lots of ferns along the trail at Honey Hollow in Camel’s Hump State Forest.” | Photo: Sheri Larsen
Sycamore Photo: Liz Thompson
Colchester, VT. “Sycamore in the Winooski Floodplain.” | Photo: Liz Thompson
Super moon Photo: Lynette Reep
Burlington, VT. “The super moon rises over Mount Mansfield illuminated by the glow of sunset.” | Photo: Lynette Reep
Dark eyed junco Photo: Marie Rainville
Franklin, VT. “Dark-eyed junco. Neat contrast with the leaves.” | Photo: Marie Rainville
Saco river Photo: Mary Small
Hart’s Location, NH. “Saco River in extreme drought.” | Photo: Mary Small
Locust borer Photo: Penelope Harris
Cambridge, VT. “A locust borer - a type of longhorn beetle. A serious pest of the black locust tree.” | Photo: Penelope Harris
Deer Photo: Richard Philben
Millinocket, ME. “A couple of deer checking me out near Baxter State Park.” | Photo: Richard Philben
Oyster mushrooms Photo: Jen Adams
Alexandria, NH. “Oyster mushroom party, Sugarloaf Ridge-Goose Pond Conservation Area.” | Photo: Jen Adams
Pitcher plants Photo: Ken Hatch
Springfield, VT. “Purple pitcher plants and sphagnum moss at North Springfield Bog.” | Photo: Ken Hatch
Grouse Photo: Richard Philben
Millinocket, ME. “A grouse in Baxter State Park.” | Photo: Richard Philben
Hornets nest Photo: Sandy Miklas Dannis
Dalton, NH. “A hornet nest way up high on the trunk of a birch tree.” | Photo: Sandy Miklas Dannis
Blanket flower Photo: Karen Dapp
South Williamsport, PA. “Summer’s bloom – the blanket flower – still thriving in October, wearing fall colors beautifully!” | Photo: Karen Dapp
Winter wren Photo: Charlie Schwarz
South Williamsport, PA. “Winter wrens frequent the banks of shaded woodland streams and are often year-round residents.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Familiar bluet Photo: Katherine Fiveash
Isle au Haut, ME. “Familiar bluet damselfly on fading cattail.” | Photo: Katherine Fiveash
Nuthatch Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
Tenants Harbor, ME. “Red-breasted nuthatch. There are gagillions in the mid-coast Maine coniferous forests these days.” | Photo: Kirk T. Gentalen
Monarch Photo: Karen Dapp
Warrensville, PA. “Fall colors are worn by summer icons - a monarch butterfly and goldenrod in October.” | Photo: Karen Dapp
Pulpit Photo: Judy Sweet
Conway, MA. “Jack in the pulpit fruit adds its own color to the autumn woods.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
Smithfield trail Photo: Scott Ruhren
North Smithfield, RI. “On a recent walk with a landowner for Forestry for the Birds management project.” | Photo: Scott Ruhren
Purple sunset Photo: Stephen Poklemba
Wilmington, VT. “Last Marlboro, Vermont, sunset before heading back to Idaho.” | Photo: Stephen Poklemba

Submit Your Photos to the Reader Gallery

We’re always thrilled to see what’s happening in the Northeast through your eyes. Each season, we feature approximately 50 reader-submitted images in our online gallery. To be considered, please send us photos taken within the past month.

You may submit up to three photos per person. While we can’t publish every submission, we carefully consider each one.

When reviewing submissions, we look for:

  • A variety of topics and subjects
  • High-quality, well-composed images
  • Good resolution (prefer images at least 1000 pixels on the longer edge)
  • Geographic diversity across the region

Before submitting, please read and agree to the terms and conditions below. These give Northern Woodlands a perpetual license to use your photographs. If your image isn’t selected for the gallery but we’d like to feature it elsewhere, we’ll reach out to you.

Having trouble submitting? You can also email your photo(s) and caption(s) to: Nancy (at) northernwoodlands.org. Please use the subject line: Reader Photo Submission. And don’t forget to confirm in your email that you’ve read and agreed to our terms and conditions.

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