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What in the Woods is That?

Fuzzy in the Forest

Bob Shafto of Falmouth, Maine, submitted this photo of a fuzzy growth he found attached to a white oak seedling. What is it?

Ready to Roast

We discovered this orange marshmallow complete with its own campfire stick. What is it? 

Mystery in Miniature

We found this tiny bird cage – just a few inches high – on a trail in central Vermont. What is it?

Mystery Chippy

Early on the morning of April 15, at the edge of Silver Lake in New Hampshire, Mary Holmes noticed a chipmunk with its paw resting on a dead vole. What’s going on in this picture?

Riddle of the Riddled Wood

A decaying log in central Vermont contained this strange landscape. What happened here?

Strange Surfaces

What's black and bumpy, white and woolly, and appears on trees in spring? We found this odd combination of surfaces in Franconia, New Hampshire. Extra points if you can explain why they…

Flying Horse Hockeys!

While thinning his larch plantation, Ben Canonica found this horse hockey up in a tree. Proof of Pegasus, or is there an alternative explanation?

Who Parked in the Bark?

Now that spring has officially arrived, here's a warm weather WITWIT to get you in the mood for spring. Who stuffed these nesting materials beneath the bark of a dying elm?

A Snowy Who-donut-it

This photo was taken in Strafford, Vermont. What is the name of this donut-like snow formation, and what caused it?

Jenny in the Woods

This spinning jenny is sitting high in a sugarbush. Why?

Under Wraps

Bonnie Honaberger found this mystery bundle attached to a winter branch. What is it?

Puzzling Winter Ferns

We recently published an Outside Story describing four evergreen ferns that brave northeastern winters. Here are photos of two of these species, covered up to the tops of their fronds in the…

Mystery Orb

A very large egg? Or a very small boy? This mystery orb was photographed in a southern woods, but it's also often found in the Northeast. What is it?

Beware of Yellow Snow!

While in the woods following one of our recent winter rainstorms, a few yellow stains were spotted around trees. What caused the staining of the snow? Thanks to Mike White for providing this…

Charlie Brown Tree

The making of a Charlie Brown tree: this white pine was observed among a thicket of shrubs on a wet site. In addition to the shade and wet soil, what other major factor has limited the growth…

Forgotten Metal

Found in the woods: This piece of metal is a portion (maybe one-fifth) of a longer object that was a crucial part of an old piece of equipment. What is it?

Needle Death Dilemma

What caused the growths and dead needles on these branches?

Branchbreak

What caused this branch to break from the canopy of the tree above?

Peppered Leaves

Is this a topping of black pepper on the hophornbeam (also known as hardhack) leaves, or something else? There’s a hint in the photo.

Stump Stumper

“I found this huge thingy in the remains of an old maple stump in my yard,” explains Pamela Wells. The accompanying photo shows a cross-section; what is it?