Almanac Order Form
Samples from the Almanac
GREAT SPANGLED FRITILLARY, Speyeria cybel
September The Great Spangled Fritillary is the most common fritillary butterfly in the northeastern U.S. It is relatively large, up to four inches, with orange to tawny brown wings that
GREEN HERON, Butorides virescens
June A Green Heron is a slender, long-legged bird found standing upright at the water’s edge in ponds in the Newton Cemetery or at Dolan Pond. It may be partly
HOODED MERGANSER, Lophodytes cucullatus
March This handsome diving-duck appears in small groups soon after the ice has cleared on bodies of fresh water such as Bullough’s Pond or Crystal Lake. Both the male and
JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT, Arisaema triphyllum
May Jack-in-the-Pulpit is a spectacular plant common in moist woods. It grows one to three feet high. The flower consists of a green- and purple-striped canopy over a spathe or
LITTLE WOOD SATYR, Megisto cymela
June At the woodland edge, near meadows and fields, look for the little wood satyr, which is a member of the brushfoot family of butterflies. Its brown wings span about
MONARCH BUTTERFLY, Danaus plexippus
July A Monarch Butterfly is a spectacular frequent visitor to the gardens and conservation areas of Newton. It is hard to miss this large butterfly with its striking wing pattern
NORTHERN SHRIKE, Lanius excubitor
February The northern shrike is an occasional winter visitor in the Newton area. Look for it in an open area, perched on a fence post or exposed tree limb watching
PUSSY WILLOW, Salix discolor
February Who doesn’t rembember the pussy willow from childhood, with its irresistble, fuzzy catkin buds? As children, we put pussy willow twigs in the ground, and marveled as they took
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, Sitta canadensis
January A winter visitor in our area, less common and smaller than the white-breasted nuthatch. It prefers coniferous woods but comes to feeders occasionally. It moves headfirst down tree trunks,
RIVER BIRCH, Betula nigra
December River Birch is most commonly found in moist areas. It is a fast-growing, medium-sized tree with a single or multiple stems that grows to be 50 to 70 feet
RUDDY DUCK, Oxyura jamaicensis
November Late fall is the best time to see this lively little freshwater duck. Along with other waterfowl, it migrates south through our region in November. It is most often
SASSAFRAS, Sassafras albidum
October Sassafras are trees that grow to be 30 to 60 feet tall and can live for more than a century. It is dioecious, meaning each tree is male or