June 2

Golden Heather,  Hudsonia Ericoides

  The island is golden...with the yellowy greens of new leaves and the blanket of golden heather!

June 10

Rugosa on the bluff

Cow Parsnip in the wet places

Bouncing Bet on the bluff

Maianthemum Stellatum 

Spring Azure in State Forest

Bluets,  Quaker Ladies

Ox Eye Daisies starting

Starflowers in State Forest

We are coming into summer!

Last week was beach plum and hudsonia...this week they are past.  But the wild irises at the edge of bogs and ponds  and swaths of blue-eyed grass are at their peak.  Scotch broom is still wilding along the roads,  and the first rugosas are blooming on the bluff.

Blue Eyed Grass at Windswept Bog

 

Field of Blue Eyed Grass at Windswept Bog

Stump Pond

Snapping Turtle

Painted Turtle

And we hear lots of frogs!

Early Spring: April 22 2018

Such a long winter!  Inspired to see the spring coming to Nantucket.  After 4 major nor'easters in March, the ponds are fuller than ever.  Almanac Pond has flooded over the road. Inspired to see the first Mayflowers today!  Daffodils are coming out and getting ready for next weekend,  Daffodil Weekend....Towhees are "preeting"  and "drink your tea"-ing on the moors and a catbird was seen on the Bird Walk today (along with 49 other species!)  The male wood duck in breeding plumage was my fave. Not much action in Squam Swamp...but an icelandic gull among the herrings and black-backs off the bluff.

Moss Envy in Squam Swamp

Big Cedar in Squam Swamp...so visible in the spring and winter!

First Mayflower in sunny field off Pout Pond Road

Pout Ponds

Lichen Looking Good

Almanac Pond flooding the road

Norwood Farm

Pout Pond Hike

Polpis Road

January 21 2018

Snowy at Smith's Point

Smith's Point.  The owl flew over the water to the houses and came back to the same spot

h'

Ice from Madaket Harbor 

Smith Point

Low Beach

I came over to the island on Saturday morning for a winter birding weekend.  Josh is in Jackson Hole and I want to see Snowy Owls!  After the bitter cold,  it's beautiful.  Windy on Saturday but calm on Sunday.

Snowy Owl during a hike to Smith's Point on Saturday and in between Hoick's Hollow and Sankaty Head on Sunday.

Snowy between Hoick's Hollow and Sankaty Head

Bonaparte's Gull off Sankaty

Bonie

Low Beach

The birding group saw all the key ducks as well as a Dovekie at Cisco  and 3 Northern Shovellers at Miacomet Pond

August

Toothed White Top Aster, Sericocarpus Aseroides

St. Andrew's Cross, Ascyrum Hypercoides, in Squam Swamp

Sickle Leaved Aster, Chrysopsis Falcata,  in the moors

Golden Hedge Hyssop,  Gratiola Aurea in Jewel Pond

Floating Heart,  Nymphoides Cordata,  Jewel Pond

Pickerelweed, Pontederia Cordata,  Jewel Pond

Pickerelweed

Blue Darner]

Indian Pipes, Monotropa Uniflora,
 near Jewel Pond

Late Ox-eye Daisy,
Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum

Late Swamp Azalea,
Rhododendron Viscosa

Willow-Herb in Stump Pond

Sweet Pepper,  Clethra alnifolia,  on the road near Sesachacha

Tansy,  Tancetum Vulgare,  on the road near Sesachacha