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…
While the majority of flowers have their peak bloom time in the summer months, the fall is the asters’ turn to shine. Although a quick look outside will leave no doubt that fall is here, with autumn colors and crunchy leaves falling to the ground, and insect numbers are definitely down, a number of important pollinator species, such as bees and moths are still active… and still need a source of food. Cold hardy late-blooming perennials, like asters, are a…
Throughout the summer you can find a variety of galls – the wool sower gall, the oak apple gall, the scrub oak gall and many others. Many galls, like the ones listed here, are found on oaks, which are common host plants for many gall-producing insects. But a few weeks ago, I noticed a gall on staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) for the first time. If I hadn’t been inspecting the undersides of the leaves closely, in search of a butterfly…
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 recently pulled the memory card from my trail camera, and in addition to the expected eastern cottontail rabbits and “normal” white-tailed deer, the area in front of my camera was visited numerous times by a deer with an abnormal antler formation. I have never encountered anything like this before, and some brief googling regarding abnormal antler growth produced a fascinating array of bizarre antler shapes and forms, but nothing that quite resembled the drooping club of an antler that…
The brown-lipped snail (Cepaea nemoralis), also known as grove snail or wood snail, is one of the most common species of land snail in Europe. It was first introduced to North America in the mid-1800s, both intentionally and accidentally. In fact, one scientific article I came across called them “invited invaders”. They are now relatively common in the northeastern United States and around the Great Lakes into Canada. Brown-lipped snails come in many color forms, ranging from reddish to yellowish…
This is a great time of year for nature observation in Massachusetts. Almost every day something new is happening: a new plant is flowering, some new insect has emerged or I’ve spotted a new bird, recently returned from its winter away. So these days, when I’m out and about, I try to keep my eyes pealed to spot these “happenings”. A few days ago, while poking around the woods in my backyard where I was checking on the blooming mayflower…
Although I’m sure many of you are waiting as eagerly for the first flower buds, returning migrant birds, and other signs of spring as I am, I do still appreciate some of the nature observations that are just plain easier in the winter. Galls are certainly one of them. With no leaves on trees and shrubs, any galls remaining on woody stems are easily visible. Galls come in a variety of unique shapes and sizes; I’ve written about a number…
When you think of nature in winter, you might think of snow, bare trees, and cold temperatures. If you’ve ever visited the Cape Cod Canal during the winter, you might think of eiders. Few people, however, would say “insects” as their first thought. While many insects are dormant through the winter, there are some who like to buck the trend. The winter firefly (Ellychnia corrusca) is one of these. They belong to the family Lampyridae, which includes fireflies and lightening…
I’ve had a lot of white-tailed deer around my recent trail camera placement. In fact, after almost a month, with the exception of a couple gray squirrels that scampered by, the deer have been my only visitors. Having placed the camera down by the edge of a river, I’d hoped to get more animals passing by to have a drink. The deer, however, have certainly kept me entertained. They’ve come by singly or in groups as large as 5. Although…