Ghostly ghost tree

Hallowood

Looking something like the more skeletal cousin of The Wizard of Oz apple trees, this trunk greeted passersby with an eerie expression.

Carion buggage

Carion my wayward beetle

Working its way through the leaf little, this American carion beetle (Necrophila americana) looked a bit like a carpenter bee cousin.

Noteworthy prothonotary

Yellowbird of happiness

Hopping & skulking about in the grass & weeds by the side of the road, this cute little Prothonotary warbler was completely focused on the task at hand (bug hunting) & apparently unconcerned by a small audience of admirers.

Spring has sprung, and Mourning has broken

Cloak & swagger

First butterfly seen this season was the usual suspect, a Mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa). Beautiful, rich brown with ornate blue & cream edging — a treat to come upon in the woods.

In plane sight

Adjusting the aerial view

Tiny moss trees were covered with the thinnest layer of snow suggesting a scaled down winter forest flyover.

Snappy ginger

A walk in the park

This cute young fox was strolling through the woods until it heard the camera clicks & got sight of us. Off it went.

Piney pineapple panolpy

Ancient grains

The pollen pouches on the pine trees near the library looked like a field of tiny pineapples.

Probably not the last straw

The Bearded Lady

Earlier this month, a female Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) was gathering material for her nest.

Orange in the extreme

This leaf-footed bug (Acanthocephala terminalis, I think) flew onto a tall blade of grass & swayed there in the delicate breeze, orange antenna tips & feet aglow.

Adventures in S-lumberland

A one in hole

Just managed to catch sight of this weary raccoon (Procyon lotor) as he lumbered up a tree and squeezed down into a cavity, presumably to sleep after a long night.