Bill Danielson, Author at Greenfield Recorder - Page 15 of 38

The field sparrow can be identified by its light gray face and its “pink” beak. This particular individual represented the record-breaking species for July.

Speaking of Nature: Breaking a personal birding record: After a rough start to the month, July was excellent for bird watching

by Bill Danielson For the RecorderJuly 31, 2023

A tiny hover fly investigates the dew-covered flowers of a St. John’s wort plant.

Speaking of Nature: Fly meets flower: The hover fly and St. John’s wort aren’t pesky at all

by Bill Danielson For the RecorderJuly 24, 2023

Caught in a patch of rare sunlight, this male pearl crescent shows a little extra color that is not normally seen in this species.

Speaking of Nature: Sunshine on a cloudy day: The rain isn’t preventing the pearl crescent butterfly from living its life

by Bill Danielson For the RecorderJuly 16, 2023

Two things can help you to differentiate between an adult male downy woodpecker and a juvenile male. First is the location of the red feathers on the head, and second is the presence of a brown stain on the feathers of the adult’s face and throat.

Speaking of Nature: Father and son — The downy woodpecker

by Bill Danielson For the GazetteJuly 9, 2023

I stumbled upon this black rat snake as it was climbing a moss-covered oak tree in 2003. This particular snake was about 5 feet long at the time and if I am lucky I may encounter it again this summer.

Speaking of Nature: The largest snake in New England: It’s the black rat snake, but don’t worry, you’ll probably never see one

by Bill Danielson For the RecorderJuly 2, 2023

Note the size of the eardrum on this female bullfrog and see that it is about the same size as the eye. In males, the eardrums are much larger.

Speaking of Nature: Answering the bullfrog’s call

by Bill Danielson For the RecorderJune 26, 2023

The flowers of the maiden pink, at left, which are about the size of a nickel, are always found in my lawn. About the size dime with more narrow petals, the Deptford pink, at right, seems to grow at the edges of the trails in my meadow.

Speaking of Nature: Mood-boosting flowers: Pausing for a particularly pretty pair: maiden and Deptford pinks

by Bill Danielson For the RecorderJune 19, 2023

I stumbled upon this song sparrow fledgling in a patch of “old field” in my backyard. I was initially so close to the bird that I had to take several steps backward to reach the minimum focus distance of 9 feet for my telephoto lens.

Speaking of Nature: Thank heaven for little birds

by Bill Danielson For the RecorderJune 12, 2023

Note the heavier black markings on the face, throat and breast of this male black-and-white warbler.

Speaking of Nature: Completing the set: spotting the black-and-white warbler

by Bill Danielson For the RecorderMay 28, 2023

Speaking of Nature: More elusive than Cinderella: Finding the rare and gorgeous yellow lady’s slipper

by Bill Danielson For the RecorderMay 21, 2023