May 6th

Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum). It is also called Dogtooth Violet because of the shape of the bulb underground, although it is not a violet. Older texts referred to it as Adder's Tongue. The name Trout Lily comes from the resemblance of the leaf markings to the coloration of trout, and appropriately, it blooms before the deciduous tree canopy leafs out, just as our native Brook Trout become highly active in the warming waters. While the black flies are "hatching" and tree leaves are the size of squirrels ears, warblers are returning. This is the time to look for Trout Lillies, hidden among the dancing light and shadows on the forest floor.

May 7th

Remains of a Beaver on the forest floor - the femur and the tibia. Interestingly, the femur is remarkably similar to that of the harbor seal.

May 8th

Jack-in-the-pulpit," Arisaema triphyllum, also known as Indian Turnip. Native American Indians thinly sliced the corms and dried them thoroughly, which could then be eaten or ground into a flour. Beware that the raw plant, like Skunk Cabbage, contains calcium oxalate crystals, which produce an intense burning sensation in the mouth, a characteristic only removed by drying the corms, not by cooking.

May 9th

Honey Locust, Gleditsia triacanthos, not native in Massachusetts but widely planted and sometimes naturalized. It is also called Sweet Locust (Honeyshucks in some parts of the South), because of the sweet edible pods, which are eagerly eaten by cattle, deer, rabbits, squirrels, quail, and other animals. In some places it was once known as Confederate Pintree, because the long thorns were used to pin together uniforms during the War Between The States. The Cherokee indians of the area around Tennesee favored it for their bows. The long pods (8 to 18 inches long) often remain on the tree through winter into the spring, and as it is one of the last trees to leaf out, it is very conspicuous at this time of year.

May 10th

The first Buttercup of the season. This is Common Buttercup, Ranunculus acris. The petals of the flower have a waxy shine which is very reflective of sunlight. The plant is mildly poisonous. Leaves and stems are bitter and should not be eaten, as they cause stomach pains and intestinal distress. It is a member of the Buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, which includes about 50 genera and 2000 species in the Northern Hemisphere, including Monkshood, Baneberry, and Wood Anenome. The Common Buttercup was introduced from Europe and is now widely naturalized throughout most of our states. Along with the unfurling of deciduous tree leaves, it is a sign of mid-spring here in sweet New England.

May 11th

Marsh Marigold, or Cowslip (Caltha palustris). This is another member of the Buttercup Family, Ranunculaceae. The leaves should not be eaten raw, but can be prepared as a potherb by boiling with 2 or 3 changes of water to remove the bitter poison. Better to just enjoy the beauty of these springtime flowers, in wet places along the edges of small streams in woodland settings.

May 11th

Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) on the left, and Green Frog (Rana clamitans melanota) on the right. The Green Frog has a dorsolateral ridge that the Bullfrog lacks. The tympanum (eardrum) is larger than the eye on males in both species.

May 15th

The first lightning storm of the season.

May 16th

Tracks of a Massachusetts Moose. This is one of the best times of the year to spot moose, as yearlings are driven off by the mother prior to birthing, which takes place from mid-May to early June.

May 17th

A common view of a Beaver, Castor canadensis - tail slap!

May 18th

A stinkbug. The order Hemiptera contains about 80,000 species, including what scientists call "true bugs," insects with a beak called a rostrum, containing mouthparts used for piercing and sucking plant juices or animal fluids (ants, grasshoppers, bees, mosquiotos, flies and others that we call bugs are not true bugs). True bugs are one of three groups of Hemiptera and include stinkbugs, assasin bugs, water boatmen, and backswimmers. A second group of Hemiptera includes cicadas, treehoppers, and planthoppers. A third group contains aphids and scale insects. Adult stinkbugs have scent glands in their thorax that release foul-smelling liquid through pores. The stinkbug pictured is in a family called shield bugs or shield-back bugs. It is easy to confuse these with beetles.

May 19th

A Northern Brown Snake, Storeria dekayi dekayi, of average size (about 12 inches long). Its main diet consists of earthworms, caterpillars, and other soft animals. Like many other snakes it will release a foul-smelling musk if held. In our area, the other snake in the same genus is Storeria occipitomaculata, the Redbelly Snake. Both have keeled scales.

May 21st

A Crow attempting to drive away a Hawk.

May 22rd

Early Saxifrage (Saxifraga virginiensis) has been blooming for about three weeks now. It often grows on rocky outcrops, as shown here.

May 23rd

Northern Water Snake. Older snakes lose the bold red color and look almost black, but if you look very closely you should still be able to see the pattern.

May 24th

Dwarf Ginseng, Panax trifolius. It belongs to the Ginseng Family, Araliaceae, which includes two other plants found in our area, American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and Wild Sarsparilla (Aralia nudicaulis). Dwarf Ginseng looks like a smaller version of American Ginseng, but as the species names indicate, the former has three leaflets and the latter has five leaflets. The tubers of Dwarf Ginseng can be eaten either raw or cooked.

May 25th

Great Blue Heron on the nest with two chicks. The adults are extremely wary and will usually vacate the nest if it is approached within several hundred feet.

May 26th

Yellow Lady Slipper, Cypripedium calceolus. A member of the Orchid family, this is a rare treat in our area. It is blooming now.

May 27th

Baby Yellow Crab Spiders. These are each only about 1 mm across.

May 28th

Interrupted Fern, Osmundia claytoniana. This is one of three species in the Genus; the other two are Cinnamon Fern and Royal Fern. Osmundia fiddleheads are carcinogenic.

May 29th

Gray Squirrel tracks. The size (one and a half inches wide), and placement(at water's edge along a stream) might say Mink, but the structure of the foot should tell you that it is Gray Squirrel. Note the five toes on the hind feet (closer to the top of the photo) and the four toes on the front feet (closer to the bottom of the photo). Also note the longer hind foot toes and the more bulbous front foot toes. Also note four palm pads on the hind feet and three palm pads on the front feet. The footfalls, although not in a classic Gray Squirrel "box," are indeed in a squirrel bound, not in a weasel bound. Together, all this information reveals the secret of who made the tracks.

May 30th

Amphibian eggs in a vernal pool.

May 31st

Duck eggs at Swift River, East Branch, Nichewaug.

Sunset, June 1st

Moonrise, June 1st

June 2nd

Most early woodland wildflowers have gone by, now that the tree canopy has leafed-out. Here is the last blooming trillium we have found. This is a Painted Trillium. All of the others in the area have gone to seed.

June 6th

Beaver tracks, drag marks, and food-gathering debris. Note the human track for size perspective.

June 7th

White Pine (Pinus strobus) pollen. Massive amounts have fallen this year.

June 9th

Frost Weed, Helianthemum canadense. The flower lasts only one day, as suggested by the Genus name. The common name refers to ice crystals that form on the stem when it splits open in late autumn.

June 10th

A Quabbin Black Bear Scat, "as big as a yam."

June 12th

A Wild Turkey taking a dust bath. If you are familiar with the dustbaths of domestic birds like chickens and turkeys. you know what these look like. Look for shallow depressions in sandy soil.

June 14th

A molting Garter Snake, shedding its old skin.

June 15th

June 15th is the peak of Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) flowering in the area of the north Quabbin. This is also the peak of Black Bear mating season.

June 16th

Tree Swallows. The sexes are similar, with dark blue on the back becoming iridescent when in the sun. The perched bird, singing, is probably the male.

June 17th

Red-tailed Hawk. The epitome of patience, this bird has spent many hours in this tree, surveying the wetland below.