Pitcher Plant Panoply

Not a tracking post, but I just could not resist!  For those of you living near Acton, MA there is a sight to see.  In the Acton Arboretum there is a boardwalk across the only bog on the property.  Currently in the bog, there are over 65 pitcher plant flowers blossoming.  These carnivorous plants are all in one patch.  I have never seen so many at once!  You can download the trail map from actonarboretum.org and find the Highland Bog Loop.  Easy access from the road or hiking in.  Beautiful gardens on the other side, too.  An easy hike that is worth it.  Go tomorrow!

Lars

Woodcock Nest

I found a nest of woodcock chicks a few days ago in Bolton, MA. Read
about it here: http://ouroneacrefarm.com/american-woodcock-chicks/

Happy spring,

-Janet

Eastern coyote on camera trap

At my camera trap baited with a road killed deer this winter, I got some
pretty decent coyote pics, albeit in black and white. See more photos
and read a bit about the emergence of the eastern coyote in eastern
North America here:
http://ouroneacrefarm.com/appreciating-eastern-coyote-story-arrival/
Janet

Bobcat scavenging deer

Baited a camera trap with a road killed deer, and got photos of a nice
variety of animals, including this bobcat. For more bobcat photos and
info, check this out: http://ouroneacrefarm.com/bobcat-scavenging-deer/

Bear's Head Tooth Mushroom

This photo was taken last fall. It's what the bear's head tooth looks like when it's fresh - and un-nibbled. This mushroom is said to be edible and although not choice, is reportedly "very good if cooked slowly." I've got a few standards that I like (chicken mushrooms, puffballs, hen-of-the-woods, various boletes); this one just seems more decorative that plate-worthy to me.

Whitetail Deer - Bed & Breakfast?

As usual, there's a ton of deer sign out in the woods around here, and I've come across many beds.  The snow's been deep for most of the past several weeks, but a lot of the beds have been melted out all the way through to the bare ground.  This makes me wonder if deer re-use the same beds numerous times.

I'm posting a shot of a Bear's Head Tooth mushroom that's on a tree where deer have been yarding up. (You can see some beds under the hemlock on the right.)  A close-up of the mushroom shows that it's been seriously fed upon.  Deer are known to eat mushrooms, and it doesn't look like rodent nibbling, so I'm assuming this is one of the food sources getting them by until spring finally arrives.

Foraging for wintergreen

Wintergreen, Gaultheria procumbens, is tiny evergreen shrub commonly
found in oak/pine forests. The berries have a lovely minty flavor, and
the leaves, when crushed, have a delightful wintergreen scent. Learn
more about the plant and how to make an alcohol extract with it here:
http://ouroneacrefarm.com/wintergreen-harvest-make-alcohol-extract/
And while you're there, feel free to forage around my blog to see what
else is new. Happy Thanksgiving!