This Week in the Woods

This Week in the Woods, Meghan McCarthy McPhaul found tracks along a frozen brook. They were clearly made by a mustelid (member of the weasel family), but which species? Sliding marks and a…

This Week in the Woods, we’ve noticed three “fingered” yellow birch scales (bracts) and seeds that have recently fallen from their catkins onto the snow. Winter weather helps…

This Week in the Woods, we visited an old beaver pond which has drained out to become a damp meadow, surrounded by small tree stumps sprouting new stems. This is a natural example of…

This Week in the Woods, those of us who celebrate Christmas did so amid weather that seemed appropriate for 2020 - i.e., a heavy rain that washed away the snow. The rain left in its wake…

This Week in the Woods deep snow blanketed the region, and birds flocked to feeders. For mice, voles, and other small creatures, the snow brought protection from the cold, and cover from…

This Week in the Woods, we’ve been seeking out bright colors wherever we can find them, including on the edge of marshes, where winterberry often grows. The red fruits of this wild holly…

This Week in the Woods, we stumbled upon a patch of creeping snowberry. This ground plant’s tiny leaves (each about the size of raindrop) have white hairs widely spaced along the edges.…

This Week in the Woods, we found the spiky seed balls of bur-reed in a beaver meadow. The plants (several species) grow in shallow water and wet soil; we often find them at the edge of…

This Week in the Woods, we’ve noticed red osier dogwood along wetland edges. This shrub often grows in multi-stemmed stands, and its bright red, speckled stems are eye-catching in the…

This Week in the Woods, the evenings are cold, the morning meadows are frosted with ice. It’s time to get out the winter coats. In bogs, purple pitcher plants are even more eye-catching…

This Week in the Woods, we’re experiencing boomerang weather – a spate of warm days after snow. Now that most leaves are down, we’ve been noticing signs of black knot, a…

This Week in the Woods, we’ve been noticing bright green knight’s plume moss, growing atop old stumps and other dead wood. It’s an exceptionally pretty feathermoss, with…

This Week in the Woods, we’ve enjoyed watching flocks of eastern bluebirds on the edge of a meadow, feeding on insects in stands of young aspens. While they’re not as intensely…

This Week in the Woods, recent rains have mitigated drought conditions, and tree leaves are falling fast. Red oaks are now in full fall color. Common trees of northeastern forests (more…

This Week in the Woods, the winds are blowing, migrating sparrows are hopping around fields and lawns, and more than once this week we’ve discovered a pair of spiky balls perched high in…

This Week in the Woods, we’ve been enjoying the much-needed rain, as well as occasional glimpses of migratory birds. In a typical year, staghorn sumac, a common shrub of field edges and…

This Week in the Woods, the ongoing severe drought conditions are taking a toll, from dried up streams to withered plants. The dry weather also negatively impacts insect populations. All the…

This Week in the Woods, it’s so dry out there. A good time to explore otherwise-soggy cellar holes and other low places. Several species of unfortunately-named beggar-ticks are in bloom.…

This Week in the Woods, we found fuzzy brownish-orange things on oak leaves. Elf bedroom slippers? Star Trek tribbles? Turns out, they’re yet another example of weird looking growths…

This Week in the Woods, we’ve been noticing the circular holes and brown, ring-shaped feeding patches created by maple leafcutter moth larvae. This insect has a clever way to hide from…