NATURE

Viewing wild plants and animals at the Sanctuary is a popular activity that varies with the seasons.  In the spring migratory birds have returned to begin their nesting season and many native wildflowers such as starflower, bunchberry and trillium are in bloom.deck  Look carefully during summer months for broods of baby wood ducks, mergansers and mallards swimming amongst the wide variety of aquatic flora in bloom on Somes Pond.  Autumn brings the blooms of asters to the trails and wetlands of the Sanctuary and the Somes Pond landscape is decorated in the fall colors of maples, birches and huckleberry.  Look for wetland birds such as goldeneyes, grebes, and herons which congregate in Somes Pond during the fall.  Winter’s cold freezes the pond’s surface and bald eagles are a common sight feeding from the ice-fishermen leftovers.  River otter “sledding” tracks can be seen in the snow surrounding Somes Pond and the native evergreens provide a sharp contrast to our white landscape.

Common Plants and Animals of the

Somes-Meynell Wildlife Sanctuary

 Ferns

Bracken Fern              Cinnamon Fern       Interrupted Fern

Long Beech Fern      Oak Fern                  Rock Polypody

Lady Fern                   Royal Fern

Wildflowers

Wild Sarsaparilla       Bunchberry               Starflower                   Rose Pogonia

Pink Lady’s Slipper   White Violet            Bluebead Lily       Goldthread

Wood Sorrel            Twinflower        Partridgeberry             Asters

Wintergreen          Canada Mayflower     Indian Cucumber Root

 

Shrubs

Huckleberry                  Sheep Laurel          Rhodora      Leatherleaf

Wild Raisin                   Sweet Gale             Sweet Fern

Chokeberry                   Lowbush & Highbush  Blueberry

 

Trees

Red Spruce                   Balsam Fir              White Pine

Eastern Hemlock         Red Maple             White Birch         Striped Maple   Black Cherry

Red Oak                Big-toothed Aspen       Shadbush     Northern White Cedar

 

Mammals

Red Squirrel                  Muskrat                    Porcupine            Mink

White-tailed Deer        Red Fox                    Deer Mouse

Snowshoe Hare            Little Brown Bat    River Otter

 

Reptiles and Amphibians

Snapping Turtle          Painted Turtle         Green Frog

Bull Frog                     Pickerel Frog           Wood Frog

Spring Peeper                Garter Snake            Milk Snake

Redbacked Salamander

 

Birds

Bald Eagle                   Osprey                      Blue Jay

Common Raven                          American Crow        Ovenbird

Pine Siskin                  Gray Catbird                Wood Thrush

Hermit Thrush             Cedar Waxwing        Wood Duck

Common Loon                             Common Merganser

Great Blue Heron                         Belted Kingfisher        American Black Duck

Mourning Dove          Downy Woodpecker              Hairy Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker                  Black-capped Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch               Northern Saw-whet Owl

Black-throated Green Warbler   Barred Owl

Black-throated Blue Warbler      Parula Warbler

 

A more complete listing of Sanctuary flora and fauna is available at our Sanctuary Headquarters