Right about now, eastern chipmunks begin to emerge from their burrows. Chipmunks spend the winter a torpid state, in which their body temperature and heartbeat decrease, but they wake every few days to feed on stockpiled food. These industrious creatures provide endless opportunities for photographers, as these five images from past Photo Contests prove.

2013 Photo Contest Entry © Justin Miel

2013 Photo Contest Entry © Sarah Keates

A rare melanistic chipmunk, 2011 Photo Contest Entry © Katharine Wall

2014 Photo Contest Entry © Cynthia West

2014 Photo Contest Entry © Kim Nagy

Learn more about chipmunks on our website.

Keen observers are now spotting flocks of red-winged blackbirds. It’s a sure sign of spring, since few of these birds remain in Massachusetts during the winter. Male red-winged blackbirds are bold singers, but females are well-camouflaged so that they don’t draw predators to their nests. Our Photo Contest photographers have captured their many moods. Learn more about red-winged blackbirds.

Male Red-winged Blackbird, 2014 Photo Contest Entry © David Peller

Fledgling Red-winged Blackbird, 2012 Photo Contest Entry © Deborah Monte

Female Red-winged Blackbird, 2012 Photo Contest Entry © Mark Rosenstein

Male Red-winged Blackbird, 2014 Photo Contest Entry © Fred Harwood

Male Red-winged Blackbird, 2012 Photo Contest Entry © Ron Levenson