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October 14th, 2026 Reader Photo Gallery

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September 2026

Our readers shared plenty of autumn color in our September gallery. In Weare, New Hampshire, Karinne Heise photographed a perfect fall day. In Franklin, Vermont, Marie Rainville spotted a black swallowtail, while Pat Thomas noticed a hub of activity on a radiant sunflower in Duluth, Minnesota.

We’re looking for October 2026 photos that relate to northeastern forests. Readers may submit up to three photos for consideration.

Gallery Submission Deadline: Saturday, October 31, 2026. 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.

Sunrise Photo: Ashley Collins
Errol, NH. “Sunrise over the Magalloway River.” | Photo: Ashley Collins
Salamander Photo: Jackie Robidoux
Merrimack, NH. “Endangered marbled salamander.” | Photo: Jackie Robidoux
Orb weaver Photo: Janice Tassinari
Great Barrington, MA. “I had been admiring a spider web between my two compost bins. Finally got to see the spider, a shamrock orb weaver.” | Photo: Janice Tassinari
Datana Photo: Ariane Giudicelli
Kingston, NY. “A Drexel’s datana munching on witch-hazel.” | Photo: Ariane Giudicelli
Chipmunk Photo: Carol Roede
Lincoln, MA. “Chipmunks add percussion to the woodland sounds in fall.” | Photo: Carol Roede
Gentians Photo: Carolyn Wheeler
Shelburne, MA. “Gentianopis crinita, fringed gentians, beautiful fall favorites.” | Photo: Carolyn Wheeler
Broad winged hawk Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Medix Run, PA. “In September broad-winged hawks migrate southward in large numbers.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Bottle gentians Photo: Cosmo Catalano
Lee, MA. “Bottle gentians almost ready for business on Upper Goose Pond.” | Photo: Cosmo Catalano
Red admiral Photo: Ken Hatch
Bethel, VT. “Red admiral on Joe Pye weed.” | Photo: Ken Hatch
Moth Photo: Pat Thomas
Duluth, MN. “Bumble bee, day-flying moth, and painted lady nectar on a sunflower in our yard.” | Photo: Pat Thomas
Tree frog Photo: David Nallett
Wareham, MA. “Tree frog in the outside shower.” | Photo: David Nallett
Viceroy Photo: Marie Rainville
Franklin, VT. “Viceroy butterfly on Joe Pye weed, note also the bee.” | Photo: Marie Rainville
Hericium americanum Photo: Rachel Courtney
Dublin, NH. “Hericium americanum, commonly called bear’s head or comb tooth fungus.” | Photo: Rachel Courtney
Ghost pipe Photo: Debra Clough
Grafton, NH. “Interesting pink shaded ghost pipes.” | Photo: Debra Clough
Bald eagle Photo: Richard Philben
Gil, MA. “A juvenile bald eagle with its white feathers just starting to show.” | Photo: Richard Philben
Purple mushroom Photo: Jill DeVito
Dummerston, VT. “A very purple mushroom pokes through the leaf litter to impress a group of naturalists making their way to the top of Black Mountain. (iNaturalist calls it a viscid violet cort).” | Photo: Jill DeVito
Stinkhorn Photo: John Gutowski
White Mountain National Forest, Bethlehem, NH. “Netted stinkhorn spotted while walking along a woods road.” | Photo: John Gutowski
Cucumber root Photo: Joyce Layne
Lovell, ME. “Cucumber root in its fall colors.” | Photo: Joyce Layne
Hobblebush Photo: Judy Sweet
Ashfield, MA. “Changing hobblebush leaves in filtered sunlight and deep shade on a mid September morning.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
Bright foliage Photo: Karinne Heise
Weare, NH. “Bright fall foliage comes early along the marshy banks of the Piscataquog River.” | Photo: Karinne Heise
Mushroom Photo: Scott Ruhren
Smithfield, RI. “Lone little brown mushroom on the forest floor.” | Photo: Scott Ruhren
Yellowjacket Photo: Ken Hatch
Killington, VT. “American yellowjacket on white meadowsweet next to the Thundering Falls boardwalk.” | Photo: Ken Hatch
Herons Photo: Richard Philben
Gil, MA. “Two great blue herons fishing near each other in Barton’s Cove on the Connecticut River.” | Photo: Richard Philben
River Photo: Marcy Stanton
Errol, NH. “Peaceful morning paddle on the Magalloway River.” | Photo: Marcy Stanton
Loon chick Photo: Margie Manthey
Westport, Ontario, Canada. “Common loon chick, around nine weeks old. Note the scalloped plumage and dark eye.” | Photo: Margie Manthey
Swallowtail Photo: Marie Rainville
Franklin, VT. “Black swallowtail butterfly.” | Photo: Marie Rainville
Great blue heron Photo: Ashley Collins
Lake Umbagog, ME. “Great blue heron.” | Photo: Ashley Collins
Sunset Photo: Michael Ferry
Webb Lake, Weld, ME. “Sunset on Webb Lake.” | Photo: Michael Ferry
Joe Pie weed Photo: Pat Thomas
Duluth, MN. “A monarch nectars on Joe Pye weed in our back yard.” | Photo: Pat Thomas
Vultures Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Gettysburg, PA. “Black vultures have expanded their range northward in the last 50+ years.” | Photo: Charlie Schwarz
Wasp Photo: Jill DeVito
Dummerston, VT. “This long-tailed giant ichneumonid wasp on Black Mountain is looking for just the right place to lay its eggs.” | Photo: Jill DeVito
Salamander Photo: Penelope Harris
Cambridge, VT. “Spotted salamander. Found him under a piece of rotted wood near my shed. Always a great surprise.” | Photo: Penelope Harris
Slime mold Photo: Rachel Courtney
Jaffrey, NH. “I believe this fascinating growth to be Leocarpus fragilis, commonly called insect-egg slime mold. It’s apparently acellular, meaning it’s not made up of discrete cells or cannot split into cells.” | Photo: Rachel Courtney
Squirrel Photo: Carol Roede
Lincoln, MA. “Red squirrel with a freshly foraged mushroom.” | Photo: Carol Roede
Chicken of the woods Photo: Jill DeVito
Rockingham, VT. “Chicken of the woods: everyone knows about leaf peeping season in New England, but some of the best color can be found on the forest floor.” | Photo: Jill DeVito
Green heron Photo: Richard Philben
Shelburne, MA. “A green heron about to dine on a frog.” | Photo: Richard Philben
Oak regen Photo: Sandy Miklas Dannis
Dalton, NH. “Red oak regeneration.” | Photo: Sandy Miklas Dannis
Walden hill Photo: Judy Sweet
Danville, VT. “View from Walden Hill in the late afternoon light, with clouds thickening, portending rain.” | Photo: Judy Sweet
Mutinus ravenelii Photo: Sara Lovitz
Hinesburg, VT. “The bright color of this Mutinus ravenelii (Ravenel’s red stinkhorn) caught my eye when walking in the Hinesburg Town Forest on September 10th. I initially thought it was a piece of trash when walking by but was excited to see it was not!” | Photo: Sara Lovitz
Joe cool Photo: Stephen Poklemba
Searsburg, VT. “Joe Cool, fun guy fun!” | Photo: Stephen Poklemba
Bee Photo: Sue March
Marcellus, NY. “A carpenter bee (of which we have MANY) gathering pollen in the spotted beebalm flowers.” | Photo: Sue March
Cedar waxwing Photo: Pat Thomas
Duluth, MN. “A cedar waxwing eats a mountain ash berry in our backyard.” | Photo: Pat Thomas
Tiny peeper Photo: Susan Lichty
Walpole, NH. “Tiny peeper in a mushroom cap.” | Photo: Susan Lichty
Mouse view Photo: Tim Larsen
Maidstone, VT. “Mouse’s view of an amanita.” | Photo: Tim Larsen
Ridge hike Photo: Janice Tassinari
Richmond, MA. “From mixed hardwood forest to open fields, we get a view of Yokun Ridge.” | Photo: Janice Tassinari
Coral fungus Photo: Scott Ruhren
Smithfield, RI. “Coral fungi on moss.” | Photo: Scott Ruhren

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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