In the past, I have outlined “nature study goals” for the year (if you’re curious about my past goals, you can find them here: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018; perhaps some of these will serve as inspiration for goals of your own). However, I’m not going to make such lofty goals this year – my 13-month-old son Jasper keeps me busy enough that I’m lucky if I can write a single blog post once a month. That said, I do intend…
When I came home from work earlier this week, my front walkway was covered in winged ants (referred to as alates). They were crawling on the bricks, the timber border, the solar-powered perimeter lights, and the nearby vegetation. Closer inspection revealed that in addition to the larger, darker winged ants, there were also clusters of tiny yellow ants on the ground. Although different morphologically, both are the same species of citronella ants, likely Lasius claviger. The smaller yellow individuals were…
As mentioned in my previous post, I recently received a new macro lens attachment for my cell phone. It’s been really fun to wander around my yard and nearby trails with this new close-up perspective. Some things are obviously enhanced by a zoomed-in look, such as insects, moss, lichens and other “tiny” things. But I’ve also really enjoyed a new look at things you wouldn’t necessarily assume you need a macro lens to observe, like trees and shrubs. Below are…
In most years around this time, I review my previous year’s goals and set new ones for the upcoming calendar year (see: 2021, 2020, etc.). But, interestingly, I never established set goals for 2022. Perhaps on some level I knew this year would prove hard to stick to my typical plans; my pregnancy and the birth of my son have certainly thrown my typical routine a bit out of whack. However, I’m a very list-driven, action-oriented person, so this bugged…
On a recent walk I led along the Agawam River Trail for the Wareham Land Trust, I noticed a small clustered group of 3 caterpillars on the underside of a greenbriar (Smilax sp.) leaf. While I normally don’t try to identify most caterpillars, which tend to be small, green and nondescript, these caterpillars were so striking, with their bold black and white markings and yellow undersides that I figured I’d give it a shot. It didn’t take long to pin…
I took a quick walk at Wareham Land Trust‘s Agawam River Trail after work today, enjoying the abundant late-day sunshine. Although signs of spring were seemingly everywhere, from the red-winged blackbirds calling in the nearby wetlands to the red maple flowers bursting in vibrant color, I did notice an interesting trend. At least five different plant species were pushing out new green leaves, but none of these were native. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) 2. Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora) 3. Shrub…
Friday concluded our trip north, so this post will be the last in the Nature Notes from the North Woods series. It had been far too long since I’d been up in the White Mountains, and I already can’t wait to go back. I hope you enjoy the final installment of photos and notes from Maine.
My husband and I are up in New Hampshire and Maine for about 10 days. It’s been an unbelievably long time since either of us have been up this way and it’s been wonderful to explore some new places and get to know some new plants and animals. I hiked along a few legs of the Cohos Trail, including up to and along the NH-Canada border to Fourth Connecticut Lake (the headwaters of the Connecticut River). This post is just…
September 22nd marked the autumn equinox – one of two points in the year where the length of day and night are equal. From here, the length of daylight will continue to shorten as we move towards winter. While I always miss the outdoor exploration opportunities that early evening sunshine affords me, there are so many things to look forward to about autumn. Although traditional “berry season” (i.e., blueberries, raspberries, etc.) is long over, many fruits and nuts are ripening…
I discovered something about myself recently: all my favorite non-edible fungi are purple. At the top of the list is the violet viscid cort that is commonly seen in September and October. But coming in at a close second is the violet-toothed polypore (Trichaptum biforme), a common shelf fungus that appears on dead and dying hardwoods. It can be found in all 50 states, and in eastern North America it is one of the most commonly encountered fungi. On a…