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Month: January 2019

Eastern white oak (Quercus alba)

Eastern white oak (Quercus alba)

By January, most deciduous trees have completely shed their leaves. Two major exceptions to this rule are oaks and beeches. If you look outside and see a tree still clinging to masses of dried, curled up brown leaves, chances are you have one of these trees.  To help you pick out the eastern white oaks (Quercus alba) from the rest, look for the following characteristics:  Light grey to nearly white bark, broken into numerous chip-like scales, sometimes with a pink…

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Pink Lady Slipper (Cypripedium acaule)

Pink Lady Slipper (Cypripedium acaule)

Pink lady slipper flowers, which bloom in early- to mid-June, are a challenge to pollinate due to their unique shape. Only bumblebees and a few other larger species of bee are up for the task of pushing through the narrow opening into the center of the blossom. Unfortunately, pink lady slippers produce pollen, but no nectar. So after repeatedly coming up empty-handed after visiting a few flowers, the bees will learn there is no reward for their efforts and stop…

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Common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis)

Common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis)

The long, four-parted woody fruit capsules of common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) are readily recognizable even in winter. These capsules are arranged in spikes at the tip of the stem. Common evening primrose often grows as a single tall stem, 3 to 6 feet tall, but can develop multiple branches. In the case of a plant having more than one branch, each stem tip will produce a spike of flowers, and ultimately a spike of these woody capsules. The seeds…

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Red-Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)

Red-Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)

You may have noticed that I don’t often write about birds in my blog. This is not because I don’t see them, or that I don’t find them interesting, but because lacking any serious camera equipment, I so rarely get even a half-way decent photo of a bird. Occasionally, however, a bird comes close enough and is cooperative enough to photograph with nothing more than an iPhone camera. Some places are known for “bolder” birds and the Cape Cod National…

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Nature Study Goals 2018/2019

Nature Study Goals 2018/2019

For many, New Years is a time for making resolutions. For me, it’s a great time for reflecting on what I’ve accomplished in the past year and setting intentions and goals for the new year to come in terms of nature study.  Below is a run down of how I did on my 2018 goals and what I hope to accomplish in 2019. My goals for 2018 included: Post to Seashore to Forest Floor regularly. — I managed to post new…

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