Whatever draws us into the forest—be it birdwatching or logging, hiking or hunting—all of us are unified by the sense of wonder we feel in the outdoors. The forests, fields, and streams of our region are full of mystery, and if you stop and look closely, you’ll see all sorts of oddities.
Below find a picture of one such woodlands curio. Guess what it is and you’ll be eligible to win a Northern Woodlands woodpecker magnet designed by artist Liz Wahid. A prize winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The correct answer, and the winner’s name, will appear when the next column is posted and in our newsletter (sign up here!).
We found this glimmering beastie perched on a (non-native) lupine seed pod near a pond in Orford, New Hampshire. What is it?
This is an ebony jewelwing, a type of damselfly. For more on ebony jewelwings, check out this species profile from the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. And this article by Todd McLeish from The Outside Story archives explains the differences between damselflies and dragonflies.
This week’s contest winner was Margaret Souders