Browsed by
Month: February 2017

Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus)

Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus)

It’s only February, but already signs of spring are emerging. The red-winged blackbirds are calling in the marsh, I saw a honeybee on Saturday pollinating the crocuses in my yard, and the skunk cabbage are flowering in forested wetland areas.  Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) flowers, and the structures that surround them, are fairly strange looking as far as flowers go.  The outer sheath, called a spathe, is purplish with yellow-green streaks and is roughly teardrop-shaped with an opening where the…

Read More Read More

Smooth vs Speckled Alders

Smooth vs Speckled Alders

Both Smooth Alders (Alnus serrulata) and Speckled Alders (Alnus rugosa) are commonly found near streams, rivers and wetlands.  Both species are deciduous trees with alternate, simple, serrated leaves.  And they have distinctive flowers, called catkins, that take on two different forms: the male catkins, which are pendulous, and the female catkins, which are smaller and develop into cone-like structures in the fall. Despite many similarities, there are noticeable differences between the two species: The cones of the Specked Alder are…

Read More Read More

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

On a recent trip to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge yesterday, my friend and I saw a number of new-to-me birds, including a Barred Owl (Strix varia) and an American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea).  However, those sightings were often fleeting and from a great distance.  The Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus), on the other hand, were bold and curious and often perched only a few feet from us to search for food amongst the branches and reeds. Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) –…

Read More Read More

Animal Tracks in Winter (2)

Animal Tracks in Winter (2)

In the past week, Cape Cod has been hit with a series of snow storms.  Today I was finally able to get out and enjoy a morning walk in the forest before the next storm arrives this afternoon/evening.  Unfortunately, I didn’t see any tracks in the forest, but I did find evidence of a number of animals in my backyard upon my return, including the tracks pictured here. The prints from the back feet (larger prints) were approximately 2 inches…

Read More Read More

Zimmerman Moth (Dioryctria zimmermani)

Zimmerman Moth (Dioryctria zimmermani)

While exploring Johns Pond Park in Mashpee a couple weeks ago, I noticed one pine tree that was covered in hardened sap blobs, each with a distinctive circular hole leading back into the tree’s trunk.  At the time I attributed the condition to a pest infestation, but had no way of identifying the specific pest. Thanks to some asking around and sharing the photos of the sap blobs with a professional entomologist, I now know that these “wounds” were caused…

Read More Read More