web log - northern forest 2006 ~ northern forest 2005 ~ web log index

woods (June 20, 2006) (2006-06-23 20:19:56)


Looking at these photos taken on an overcast evening reminds me of all the stories in the woods. In the foreground is the trunk and lower branches of a black spruce, dead now, that succombed to the spruce bark beetle infestation about 10 years ago.

And the story of this photo of the red columbine is that it appears to be an escapee from the garden, growing in the vicinity of a spot in our woods where we dump garden trimmings and weeds. Was it a seed or a piece of columbine that was accidentally weeded? Columbines are hardy, dependable survivors here.


carnage in the woods on a spider-size scale (7/13/06) (2006-07-13 16:53:37)


I haven't been back in the woods for awhile this summer and although I was not surprised to find the trail thickly overgrown, I was surprised to find head-tall grass taking over one section. Has the canopy diminished enough from trees falling to allow grasses to crowd out other plants, or has something else changed?


Old birch forest -- summer day view.



It would appear that legs are not a preferred delicacy in the spider kingdom...




Stink bug on cow parsnip (which is stinky in it's own right) -- one of the surprises I found as I work on getting the hang of this macro lens.


Junco (7/25/06) (2006-07-25 22:59:56)


The junco families "owned" the woods this afternoon. Juvenile junco, note the white stripes on its tail.

forest 2005 ~ web log index