Sightings – Page 17 – Sharon Friends of Conservation

Red Fox – 6/25/20

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/25/20 Observation time: 8:45 a.m. Observation Location: 4 Gavins Pond Rd. Common Name: Red fox Scientific Name: Vulpes vulpes Comments: It was a thrill to see these three playful red foxes in our back yard. One of them seemed quite interested in the neighbor’s fluffy cat, which stood its ground. Despite its name, individual red foxes have variable coloration. The […]

Viceroy Butterfly – 6/22/20

Observer: Zahava Friedman Observation Date: 6/22/20 Observation Time: 10:40 a.m. Observation Location: near Gavins Pond Common Name: Viceroy butterfly Scientific Name: Limenitis archippus Comments: Viceroys are smaller than the famous migrating monarchs, and the black markings are different. Note the curved black line on the hind wings. Monarchs do not have this line. Viceroys are brush-footed butterflies, which have tiny, hairy forelegs that look more like brushes […]

Small-leaved Linden Tree – 6/21/20

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/21/20 Observation Time: 4:35 p.m. Observation Location: Corner of Gavins Pond Rd. and Col. Gridley Rd. Common Name: Small-leaved Linden Tree Scientific Name: Tilia cordata Comments: Tilia cordata, commonly called small-leaved linden or little-leaf linden, is native to Europe. It has been widely planted in the U.S. as an ornamental shade tree because of its (a) attractive foliage, (b) dense, low-branched, pyramidal to ovate […]

Sheep’s Bit – 6/21/20

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/21/20 Observation Time: 4:30 p.m. Observation Location: Along Gavins Pond Road Common Name: Sheep’s bit Scientific Name: Jasione montana Comments: Sheep’s bit is an annual or biennial, native to Europe and Russia and introduced to North America’s east and west coasts. It was introduced through being grown as a garden ornamental, and is spreading westward from sandy sites in southern New England. More Information: Go Botany

Raccoon – 6/19/20

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 6/19/20 Observation Time: 3:30 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill area Common Name: Raccoon Scientific Name: Procyon lotor Comments: Raccoons are mainly nocturnal, but this family was out foraging during the day. Raccoons are smart and quite capable of defending themselves against dogs or anything else that might try to harass them. More Information: National Geographic

Raccoon and Gray Fox – 6/16/20

Observer: Kurt Buermann Observation Date: 6/16/20 Observation Time: 8:20 p.m. Observation Location: Furnace Street Common Name: Raccoon and Gray Fox Scientific Name: Procyon lotor and Urocyon cinereoargenteus Comments: This raccoon and gray fox – both of which are predators – were feeding peacefully together on the porch. More Information: Wikipedia and Nature Works Here’s a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX-v4iZD_j4

Grape Leaffolder Moth – 6/14/20

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 6/14/20 Observation Time: 6:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill area Common Name: Grape Leaffolder Moth Scientific Name: Desmia funeralis Comments: This moth is called a grape leaffolder because its larvae folds the leaves of muscadine grape vines and keeps them folded using bands of silk thread. This interferes with the plant’s ability to photosynthesize, and weakens it, resulting in a decreased grape harvest the […]

Palmate Hop Clover – 6/14/20

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/14/20 Observation Time: 5:20 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Palmate Hop Clover Scientific Name: Trifolium aureum Comments: Palmate hop clover is an exotic species that is widespread in New England. The common name derives from the fact that as the flower heads age, the florets fold down and become brown, resembling dried hops. More Information: Go […]

Eastern Kingbird – 6/14/20

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/14/20 Observation Time: 4:40 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Eastern Kingbird Scientific Name: Tyrannus tyrannus Comments: Kingbirds are members of the flycatcher family. The tip of the tail looks like it was dipped in white paint. Their call has been likened to the sound of arcing electricity. In summer kingbirds eat mostly flying insects. Pairs maintain a […]

Rough-fruited Cinquefoil – 6/14/20

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/14/20 Observation Time: 4:30 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Rough-fruited Cinquefoil Scientific Name: Potentilla recta Comments: Also known as sulphur cinquefoil, this wildflower is native to Europe and Asia. Introduced and naturalized in North America. Found along roads and in disturbed sites. Thrives in full sun and tolerates dry conditions. Flowers from June to August. Blossoms […]

Red-spotted Admiral – 6/14/20

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 6/14/20 Observation Time: 4:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill area Common Name: Red-spotted Admiral (or red-spotted purple) butterfly Scientific Name: Limenitis arthemis astyanax Comments: The red-spotted purple butterfly is the same species as the white admiral butterfly. It is a North American species in the genus Limenitis. It has been studied for its evolution of mimicry, and for the several stable […]

Common Pondhawk Dragonfly (female) – 6/14/20

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 6/14/20 Observation Time: 1:15 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill area Common Name: Common Pondhawk (or Eastern Pondhawk) dragonfly (female) Scientific Name: Erythemis simplicicollis Comments: Pondhawk dragonflies are voracious hunters, but they are completely harmless to humans. Females are green. Males are blue. Females oviposit in flight, hovering low over the water and repeatedly dipping their abdomens into the water to release […]

Slaty Skimmer Dragonfly (female) – 6/14/20

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 6/14/20 Observation Time: 11:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill area Common Name: Slaty Skimmer dragonfly (female) Scientific Name: Libellula incesta Comments: Watch this video of the slaty skimmer dragonfly as it oviposits at Gavins Pond. More Photos: Odonata.bogfoot.net

Spreading Dogbane – 6/13/20

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/13/20 Observation Time: 6:15 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Spreading Dogbane Scientific Name: Apocynum androsaemifolium Comments: Spreading dogbane is a showy member of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae) that is found in nearly all of the 50 states except some in the southeast. The common name, dogbane, and the genus name, “Apocynum,” meaning “away from dog,” are testaments […]

Catchweed Bedstraw – 6/13/20

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/13/20 Observation Time: 6:10 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Catchweed Bedstraw Scientific Name: Galium aparine Comments: Native to North America and Eurasia, this weed is an annual broadleaf plant with a shallow, branching taproot. The stems of catchweed bedstraw are square in cross-section, weak, mostly unbranched, and grow to about 6 feet long, but are […]

Carolina Allspice – 6/13/20

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/13/20 Observation Time: 6:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Carolina Allspice Scientific Name: Calycanthus floridus Comments: Also known as Carolina Sweetshrub, this plant deserves its name. The blossoms are fragrant and the leaves are aromatic when bruised. I wish I had encountered this plant a week earlier when the blossoms were at their prime. Maybe […]

Platterful Mushroom – 6/13/20

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/13/20 Observation Time: 5:55 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Platterful Mushroom Scientific Name: Megacollybia rodmani Comments: Platterful mushrooms appear after May and June rains. It had rained heavily two days earlier. This one was growing on a rotting log beside the trail. More Information: Mushroomexpert.com Top view:

Royal Fern – 6/13/20

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/13/20 Observation Time: 5:50 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Royal Fern Scientific Name: Osmunda regalis Comments: The royal fern belongs to the family Osmundaceae; fossils belonging to this family have been found in rocks of Permian age (230,000,000 years before present), a time when the continents were consolidated into the supercontinent Pangea. More Information: Wikipedia

American Groundnut – 6/13/20

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/13/20 Observation Time: 5:30 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: American Groundnut Scientific Name: Apios americana Comments: Apios americana is found in every state east of the Rocky Mountains. It is a perennial vine that grows to 10 feet long in wet areas – marshy meadows and thickets, stream and pond banks, and moist woodlands. Both the tuber and the […]

Joe Pye Weed – 6/13/20

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/13/20 Observation Time: 5:20 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Joe Pye Weed Scientific Name: Eupatorium purpureum Comments: Joe Pye Weed is an herbaceous, late-blooming perennial native to much of the U.S. It is a wildflower and an herb that was used as an herbal remedy to lower fevers and other maladies. The plant is named after […]

Common Mullein – 6/13/20

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/13/20 Observation Time: 5:15 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Common Mullein Scientific Name: Verbascum thapsus Comments: Verbascum thapsus has a wide native range including Europe, northern Africa and Asia, from the Azores and Canary Islands east to western China, north to the British Isles, Scandinavia and Siberia, and south to the Himalayas. In the United States […]

Purple Foxglove – 6/13/20

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/13/20 Observation Time: 5:15 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Purple Foxglove Scientific Name: Digitalis purpurea Comments: Purple foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, is a biennial or short-lived herbaceous perennial from western Europe in the plantain family. It is sometimes called common foxglove, fairy gloves, fairy bells, or lady’s glove. Purple foxglove is naturally quite variable in size and […]

Southern Arrowwood – 6/13/20

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/13/20 Observation Time: 5:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Southern Arrowwood Scientific Name: Viburnum dentatum Comments: Native Americans reportedly used the straight stems of this species for arrow shafts, hence the common name. The scientific name “dentatum” refers to the toothed edges of its leaves. More Information: Missouri Botanical Garden

Broad-leaved Dock – 6/13/20

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/13/20 Observation Time: 4:55 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Broad-leaved Dock Scientific Name: Rumex obtusifolius Comments: Rumex obtusifolius, commonly known as broad-leaved dock, bitter dock, bluntleaf dock, dock leaf or butter dock, is a perennial plant in the family Polygonaceae. It is native to Europe, but is found on all temperate continents. It is a highly invasive species […]

Eastern Redcedar Tree – 6/9/20

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/9/20 Observation Time: 5:00 p.m. Observation Location: conservation land across the street from the Gavins Pond soccer fields Common Name: Eastern Redcedar Tree Scientific Name: Juniperus virginiana Comments: Birds love its berries. More Information: Arbor Day Foundation

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