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!).
A Northern Woodlands staff member found this creature crawling across a sunny patch of Vermont woods in late February, 2021. What is it?
This is a snow fly (genus Chionea). These wingless flies spend most of the winter under the snow, but sometimes on sunny late winter days you can find them trundling along the surface, perhaps to seek mates. Keep a look out for them, especially on days when the temperature exceeds 20 degrees.
This week’s contest winner was Arthur Wagner