Bill Danielson, Author at Daily Hampshire Gazette - Page 14 of 22

The thin line of black-and-white “dashes” across the wings are the feature for which the name “hairstreak” is given.

Speaking of Nature: A quick lesson on butterfly anatomy: Inspecting the gray hairstreak, an unexpected treat

by Bill Danielson For the GazetteAugust 29, 2023

This song sparrow fledgling, left, is being gently fed by its parent.

Speaking of Nature: Job of parent never over, even for birds: Second round of fledglings require just as much attention

by Bill Danielson For the GazetteAugust 22, 2023

This immature ruby-throated hummingbird is probably a young male. This identification is based on the very beginnings of red speckles on the throat, which will eventually develop into iridescent red feathers.

The hummingbird wars are upon us: Once fledgling hummingbirds discover the free food at the feeder, the fun begins

by Bill Danielson For the GazetteAugust 15, 2023

During late summer, when young birds have become independent and have little to do, they will wander across the landscape and explore. Sometimes they will be curious about people, as was this immature common yellowthroat.

Speaking of Nature: Reading the signs of the seasons: Young birds mature enough to explore, not yet ready to migrate

by Bill Danielson For the GazetteAugust 8, 2023

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 GazetteAugust 2, 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 GazetteJuly 25, 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 GazetteJuly 18, 2023

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

Speaking of Nature: Downy woodpecker duo: Slight differences help in identifying adult, juvenile males

by Bill Danielson For the GazetteJuly 11, 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 GazetteJuly 5, 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 GazetteJune 27, 2023