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  • Fall reflections at Franklin Pond Preserve. This 14-acre pond is surrounded by woodland swamp and hardwood forest.
  • The praying mantis is a predatory insect that feeds on other insects. This one is photographed in the act at Uplands Farm Preserve.
  • The palm warbler, like this one at Daniel R. Davis Preserve, is most easily recognized by a distinctive tail-wagging behavior that shows off its yellow undertail.
  • A little wood satyr requires grassy woods or open fields for breeding habitat, like that at Daniel R. Davis Preserve. Adults feed on tree sap, aphids and sometimes nectar.
  • A native shrub with beautiful white and pink flowers, the mountain laurel can grow in dense thickets. Plan a hike at Butler-Huntington Woods in the spring to see it.
  • The golden-crowned kinglet is a tiny songbird with a yellow crown, short tail and wing bars. This one, seen at Uplands Farm Preserve spends the winter at local preserves.
  • A ruby-crowned kinglet stops at Uplands Farm Preserve during migration. One of the smallest birds in North America, the males occasionally flash their deep-red crown.
  • An Eastern box turtle at Iselin Preserve. Box turtles are long lived, slow to mature, and have relatively few offspring per year.
  • An Eastern garter snake sits silently at the Daniel R. Davis Sanctuary. Garter snakes are one of the first snakes to emerge in spring.
  • At the David Weld Sanctuary, a bank swallow looks inquisitively at visitors. A small colony has been successfully nesting in the bluffs here every year.
Long Island
Exploring our preserves