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What in the Woods is That?

Mysterious Marks

What made the scratch marks on this maple branch?

Snow Stumper

Strange impressions. What made these tracks in the woods?

Tantalizing Tracks

Northern Woodlands reader Pat Liddle took this photograph on her property in Canaan, New York. The linear impressions in the snow on the left side of the photo had this experienced wildlife…

Mystery Markings

While snowshoeing in central Vermont, we found a number of these sideways scrapes on hardwood trees by a talus slope. What made these marks?

Hairy Hideaway

Reader Tammis Coffin sent in this photo of a somewhat hairy thing tucked into the crevice of a beech tree in western Massachusetts. What is it?

Case of the Cracked Maple

What caused the horizontal split in this maple tree?

Mystery in Pine

Ben Kilham at the Kilham Bear Center in Lyme, New Hampshire, found this quarter-sized structure under the bark of a pine log. What is it?

Ducky Dance

Ducky dance moves? We came across this mallard twisting himself into some strange – and impressive – positions. What on earth is this duck doing?

O Holey Orb

We found this holey orb-like structure on a dried stalk near the edge of the woods. What happened here?

Wispy Wonder

We found a bush covered in these fluff balls at the edge of a field. What plant is this?

Pondering Pods

Reader Tammis Coffin snapped this photo of a curved, twisted-topped pod in western Massachusetts. What is it?

Cling on Clue

A boy went into the woods and came home with his shirt and pants covered with these clingy customers. What are they?

Holey Maple

This fallen sugar maple leaf was one of many, discovered in close proximity, marked with odd rings of faded color – and a few holes. What’s happening here?

Berry Tales

A Tale of Two Berries: What's going on in this picture?

Whose Holes?

We discovered a series of these shallow holes, about 2 inches wide, underneath an eastern white pine tree. Who made them – and why?

Burry Furry Mystery

Like many woods-wandering dogs, this Brittany spaniel regularly returns from romps with small balls sticking to her ears. What are they?

Buzzin’ Puzzle

To bee, or not to bee: What is happening in this photograph?

Weird Waters

Kelly Stettner, director of the Black River Action Team sent in this photo of a 6-foot-long something in the water of Muckross Pond in Springfield, Vermont. What is it?

Mushroom Mystery

We found this odd structure growing next to several Amanita mushrooms. What made it?

Baffling Bundles

We found these weird brown bundles fastened to a log. What are they?