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Month of Macro Part 2: Wildflowers

Month of Macro Part 2: Wildflowers

Continuing my macro explorations from my previous posts (if you missed them, check them out here and here) I switched my focus to wildflowers. Admittedly, January isn’t the most obvious time to go looking for flowers, but many of our local species have persistent seed heads that can be found through the winter. And some of these, as you’ll see, are quite intricate when observed up close. And in at least one case, some flowers already have their spring buds ready…

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Winter Firefly (Ellychnia corrusca)

Winter Firefly (Ellychnia corrusca)

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…

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Six More Weeks of Winter?

Six More Weeks of Winter?

That’s what Punxsutawney Phil said anyway. I say 6 weeks and 4 days, since the official first day of spring (the vernal equinox) is March 20th. In early March after we’ve had a few pleasant days and folks start remarking that “spring is here” I’m always the first one to chime in and remind them that winter (i.e., cold, snow, nor’easters, etc.) is not over yet. In fact, sometimes it refuses to go away even after the official first day…

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Winter Oyster Mushrooms

Winter Oyster Mushrooms

The fall is typically mushrooms’ time to shine. It is a time of year when my lawn is typically bursting with a variety of mushroom species, and I see a whole palette of colors on my forest walks (my favorites: the lovely purple Viscid Violet Cort and the bright orange edible Chicken of the Woods). But last summer’s drought made for an underwhelming fall mushroom season.  I figured I’d be out of luck with finding interesting new mushrooms until next…

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Winter Wildflowers: Wild Bergamot

Winter Wildflowers: Wild Bergamot

The result of more than 24 hours of snow then rain then more snow was a disappointing 3 to 4 inches of snow on the ground yesterday morning (I had been hoping for a little more snow, and a lot less rain). It did make for a lovely walk wintery though.  Although I more often walk in the forest, yesterday I visited the south portion of Crane Wildlife Management Area, which is dominated by open fields. I always find the…

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10 ways to enjoy nature in winter

10 ways to enjoy nature in winter

This week marked our 3rd snowfall of the season, and winter technically doesn’t even start for another week (December 21st). The cold weather, snowy trails, and depressingly early sunsets have most people going from home to work (or school) and back again with little to no time spent outside in nature. But with a little planning and a slightly different approach spending time outside, even on cold winter days, it can still be enjoyable. Below I’ve compiled a list of…

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Animal Tracks: Eastern Gray Squirrel

Animal Tracks: Eastern Gray Squirrel

When conditions are right, spotting animal tracks becomes much easier. Wet sand or mud and fresh fallen snow are two of the best surfaces for capturing imprints. While some parts of New England received a foot or more of snow over the last day or two, here in Bourne we only received about 2 or 3 inches. With snow, less is often more when it comes to studying animal tracks. This morning, when I left the house for work, the…

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Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)

Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)

Wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) can be distinguished from other local frogs by their dark “mask” extending back from each of their eyes. The rest of their body can vary from light tan to reddish brown; in fact, a single individual can vary their coloring seasonally. While other species, like the green frog, are often found in close proximity to water year round, wood frogs are rarely seen in association with water other than during the spring breeding season when they…

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