Northeastern United States
Images of flora and fauna from Northern Maine to North Carolina.
Canada Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) on Great Duck Island This low-growing plant will produce colorful bunches of red berries later in the season, a favorite of foragers in the Northeastern United States and Southern Canada. This bunch was concealing the intricate burrows of Leach's Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa), crisscrossing the spruce roots across the island.
Daddy Longlegs (Opiliones sp.) in Goldenrod (Solidago sp.) Picking its way among the late summer Goldenrod flowers, this Daddy Long Legs or Harvestman was on the move in the warm sun. With over 6,500 species known worldwide, these fascinating arthropods are very diverse in their form. There is a common myth that these animals are spiders, but they are actually their own grouping. Goldenrods, for their part, are an incredibly important food source for local insects, and often blamed for the allergies brought on by Ragweed (Ambrosia sp.).
A Crab Spider (Thomisidae sp.) hunting in Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium sp.) Camouflaged perfectly with the surrounding blossoms, this hunting Crab Spider waits for nectar-seeking insects to come close. These spiders often practice this ambush technique as opposed to building full webs, and can even change color to match their floral hideaway.
A jumping spider (Salticidae sp.) trying to intimidate a rival.
A Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) on a chilly morning in Maine. This bird is named after the location in Georgia, where the first specimen was collected.
A baby Barred Owl (Strix varia) watching from its nest. This youngster was being closely guarded by its parents.
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) preening itself between hunting attempts. Wading in a shallow pond, this Great Blue Heron spent tens of minutes in stillness while searching for prey. The largest herons in North America, these birds eat fish and other small vertebrates. The wetlands these birds call home aren’t just important for the herons, they provide critical habitat for a whole host of animal and plant life. In addition, wetlands help purify water, prevent flooding, store water, add nutrients into rivers, and help prevent erosion. Many such wetlands have already been drained for development, or are at risk of such an outcome, and need our voices to speak up for their protection.
An adult Barred Owl (Strix varia) watching over its nest from among the branches. While walking through one of my favorite hemlock forests, I spied a baby Barred Owl poking its head out of a rotted hole in a tree. I spent a good while photographing it before I realized I was the one being watched, looking up and seeing this beauty almost directly overhead keeping a close eye on me!
A Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) soars through early spring snow in the Appalachian mountains. Cathartes aura, meaning "cleansing breeze", are one of my favorite birds. Standing at nearly three feet tall, yet weighing a scant 3 lbs (compared to a similarly sized Bald Eagle's 14 lbs), these beautiful birds play a very important role in disease prevention by cleaning up the carcasses of dead animals.
This female Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), and many others like her, frequent fields of blooming Fireweed on across Northern New England. Stable sources of food are exceptionally important for these little beauties, to the point that they time their migrations with the bloom times of different flower species along their route.
This White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) was out nibbling the exposed grass at the edge of an alder swamp in Maine. Standing about four foot tall at the shoulder, and clocking in at an impressive 30 mph, these animals actually rank as the smallest of the North American deer. The common name comes from the white patch under its tail, which it raises like a warning flag as it bounds away from danger.
Even during the winter beavers (Castor canadensis) are active beneath the ice, continuously repairing their lodges and dams with mud, branches, and other woody material. They survive through the harsher months by living off of a cache of plant material they store in their ample lodges, keeping warm by huddling together. They’ve even been known to welcome other occupants, reports showing that otters have been found sheltering in the dwellings with beaver families.