January 31st. Small Winter Stoneflies (Family Capniidae) sheltering under loose bark of a dead Ash.

 

 

 

 

 

A Flat Bug (Family Aradidae; Aneurus sp.), also under dead Ash bark.

 

February 1st. I went out in the afternoon, looking for more insects under bark... but first I encountered mosses, lichens, and fungi.

 

So nice to see green!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn't notice the Globular Springtails (three little orange specs) on one of the fungi until I was editing the photos.

 

 

 

I should think this Crustose Lichen with lirellae (elongate apothecia or fruiting bodies) would be easy to identify, but not for me.

 

With thanks to UConn's Dr. Sarah Taylor, it's in the genus Graphis, the Script Lichens.

 

Once again, I didn't notice these Globular Springtails or their "frass" either until I was editing the photo.
Oh well, here's a great video of them! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUT6uuDvlfw
As a teen, I learned this fungus as Witches' Butter but now I don't dare make an ID; there are several other fungi that look similar and are not even in the same genus.

 

Same fungus? ...or not.

 

I did finally find some insects under bark, including several of these Fireflies or Lightning Bugs. I believe these are a diurnal (day-active) species, Ellychnia corrusca, that do not have a light.

 

 

 

 

 

I saw several of these small spiders...

 

 

 

 

 

...and this dark one.

 

Finally, a fly larva. Almost certainly a Large Crane Fly (Family Tipulidae).

 

 

 

 

 

Common Ground Pine (Lycopodium obscurum).

 

 

 

Finally to the marsh where I saw many Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos)...

 

 

 

 

 

...and a pair of Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus).