What in the Woods is That?

We spotted these beech leaves sporting dark stripes in the woods near Bucksport, Maine. What’s happening here?

Reader Ann Basehore found this squiggly, gelatinous mass on a red cedar tree in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. What is it?

Why did the moose cross the road? Jim Dannis found this young moose (looking worse for wear from winter ticks) bowing down to lick a back road in northern New Hampshire. Why is it doing this?

We came across this interesting seed-like clump amid unfurling leaves along a wooded path in New Hampshire this week. What is this?

Northern Woodlands reader Ciel Setterstrom was hiking on the Nipmuck Trail in Connecticut and spotted some “fuzzy looking stuff” wedged into this tree hollow. What is it, and why is it there?

Northern Woodlands reader Harry Zane discovered these “strange white threads” in an oak log he was splitting. What are they?

This time of year, a walk through the woods reveals many signs of spring. Can you identify these four?

The birds that made this nest have long since vacated it. Why are there leaves covering the nest? (And thanks to Sandy Dannis for the photos.)

Northern Woodlands board member emeritus Si Balch shared this photo of a bumpy trail through the woods. What caused these icy lumps?

While exploring a frozen cedar bog in Dalton, New Hampshire, reader Sandy Dannis spotted this mound with a hole at the top of it. What is this?

We found this gray birch with splashes of red on its trunk. What caused this tree’s blush?

We came across this hole in the snow while cross-country skiing through the woods. What happened here?

In the January woods, we found these tree seeds and bracts on top of snow. Which trees dropped these?

We found these marks on a birch tree, about a foot above the snow, during a ski through the woods this week. Who’s been noshing on this tree?

We recently took this photo of a fruit laden tree in silhouette. What is it?

Who raided a cornfield, took out a patch of stalks, and dragged them down into the wetlands?

This chunk of bark, which stood out against a backdrop of fallen brown leaves, seems to be a missing piece of a puzzle. What happened here?

We found what appeared to be scraps of dinosaur skin under the leaves by a stream. What is this?

We’ve reached that point of autumn where there seem to be as many leaves on the ground as there are left clinging to trees and shrubs and vines. A quick leaf-gathering walk near the Northern…

We found these funky fungi with curled back, slimy caps growing in a mixed hardwood stand in central Vermont. What are these?