danmccullough

danmccullough, 4 days ago to nature

A Rosy Maple Moth [Dryocampa rubicunda] to brighten up your day.

#insects #moths #nature

danmccullough, 8 days ago to random

One of my true joys of the season is tracking down kesar mangoes at the local Indian grocers, and making mango lassis, or mango sticky rice or saffron mango mousse, or… well you get the idea.

#mangoes

danmccullough, 9 days ago to nature

Insects love the side of my house. You’ll see a lot of posts with this whitish wooden siding.

This season’s 1st visitor is a Southern Pygmy Clubtail dragonfly [Lanthus vernalis].

Welcome my little flying friend!
#nature #insects #dragonflies

danmccullough, 11 days ago to nature

Well-loved

#nature #trees #hiking #woodpeckers

danmccullough, 12 days ago to nature

I don’t recall seeing Chicken mushrooms this high up. And if you zoom in, LOTS of bugs.

#nature #MushroomMonday #fungi #pilze

danmccullough, 13 days ago to random

#SilentSunday

danmccullough, 14 days ago to animals

Pippin found a loophole in the No jumping up on “counters” rule.

#Caturday #CatsOfMastodon #Cats

danmccullough, 15 days ago to nature

Saw these bright orange weird things on an old birch. When I examined closer I saw tiny chambers, their openings no larger than a toothpick point.

Super tiny flying stingy things?!

No.

Ok, have to be galls. When all else fails, go with galls.

Nope.

Two days later I smartened up. What’s even more weird and freaky than galls?

Slime Molds! This is the most bizarro slime mold I’ve ever found.

Multi Goblet Slime [Metatrichia vesparia]

#myxogastria #SlimeMold #nature

danmccullough, 17 days ago to nature

I struck up a friendship with a Winter Wren that has been patrolling the area while snagging bugs and collecting moss.

Each day I watched it hop past me on its way to a secluded spot under a culvert.

During one of its moss hopping treks, I decided to see if I could find the nest. I took a quick photo and when I came back to look, I noticed a yellow gape flange. Yes, it seems there’s a baby Winter Wren in the 1st photo!

It may take a little searching to see it!

#Nature #Wrensday #Birds

Sitting beneath an old road and lots of vegetation, is a double culvert, each about 8 feet high and 12 feet wide. A brook passes through each one. I inserted a red arrow on the photo to show the location of the wren nest - it is on the upper right side of the left culvert. It is blocked by a perfectly situated rock that adds protection for the wren family.
This is the original photo that the zoomed in version of picture 1 is taken from. This photo is pulled out a bit to show more of the metal culvert and trees with greenish sunlight streaming through them in the background.

danmccullough, 19 days ago to nature

I don’t find a lot of Painted Trillium [Trillium undulatum] in the woods, but was lucky to find this sweet little patch.

#Nature #NewEngland #Wildflowers #Bloomscrolling

danmccullough, 20 days ago to random

#SilentSunday

danmccullough, 21 days ago to animals

Pippin “helping” with room rearrangement.

#Caturday #CatsOfMastodon #Cats

danmccullough, 22 days ago to Mushrooms

Was out in the puckerbrush and found these large frisbees, uh, Artist’s Conk [Ganoderma applanatum] mushrooms.

#FungiFriday #Fungi #Mushrooms #Nature #Pilze

The same picture as the previous one m, except in this one my arm and hand are extended by not the largest mushroom to show its size. I can fit my entire spread hand within its proportions.

danmccullough, 24 days ago to nature

Last year, we learned our porcupines do not like getting their paws wet. So my wife built them a little stone bridge to cross the 1 inch deep trench 🥹 They seem to have mastered it! Anything to not get wet. Even if they’re already soaked from the pouring rain…

#Nature #Wildlife #Porcupine #TrailCam

17 second, black and white trailcam footage of a beefy porcupine lumbering down an old path to an 8 inch wide trench that carries water from the forest to the brook. It approaches cautiously, check the stones that have been placed as a bridge, and slowly walks across. The video is taken in the middle of the night and it is raining.

danmccullough, 25 days ago to nature

When you find yourself without binoculars…

#nature #trees

danmccullough, 27 days ago to random

#SilentSunday

danmccullough, 28 days ago to Cats

All the news that fit to sit.

#Caturday #Cats #CatsofMastodon #SiberianForestCat

danmccullough, 29 days ago to Mushrooms

These wonderful little Q-tip sprouty things are Swamp Beacon [Mitrula elegans] mushrooms, and up until yesterday I had never found one. In fact they aren’t listed in many of my guides or fungi websites I visit. They mostly grow on fallen conifer needles IN BOGS… so you can see why they don’t get a lot of press!

#FungiFriday #Fungi #Mushrooms #Nature #pilze #Mushtodon

danmccullough, 30 days ago to nature

Well off the beaten path, a swath of green [False Hellebore & Skunk Cabbage].

#nature #NewEngland #hiking

sundogplanets, 1 month ago to random

Good morning from baby goat land

danmccullough, 1 month ago to nature

This should put an end to the age old question - “what do porcupines do when they have an itch?”

#nature #NewEngland #wildlife #porcupine

16 second black and white trailcam video taken at night. A porcupine is seen raising its rear leg and scratching its side like a dog or cat would - quickly and over and over in the same spot. After 12 seconds it lumbers off up the trail.

danmccullough, 1 month ago to nature

On the campus of Smith College.

#nature #NewEngland #ThickTrunkTuesday #trees

danmccullough, 1 month ago to nature

Caught this Barred Owl watching me make my morning tea.

“Who brews for you? Who brews for you?”

#nature #wildlife #owls #birding #birds

danmccullough, 1 month ago to random

#SilentSunday

danmccullough, 1 month ago to animals

Tortie in the sun!

#Caturday #CatsofMastodon #Cats #SiberianForestCat