What in the Woods Is That?

Play our biweekly guessing game!

Whatever draws us into the forest—be it birdwatching or logging, hiking or hunting—all of us are unified by the sense of wonder we feel in the outdoors. The forests, fields, and streams of our region are full of mystery, and if you stop and look closely, you’ll see all sorts of oddities.

Below find a picture of one such woodlands curio. Guess what it is and you’ll be eligible to win a Northern Woodlands woodpecker magnet designed by artist Liz Wahid. A prize winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The correct answer, and the winner’s name, will appear when the next column is posted and in our newsletter (sign up here!).

What Lies Above?

With late November’s trees free of leaves, things once hidden have been revealed. Laury Saligman shared this photo of clumps of leaves and twigs in a cluster of trees. What are they?

Answer

Bear nests.

These clumps of leaves and twigs were made by a black bear sitting in the crotch of a beech tree, breaking branches and pulling them toward her to get at the beech nuts. When the bear was done feeding and climbed down out of the tree, she left these nest-like structures behind.

This week’s contest winner was Randy Wilcox of Leicester, VT