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?
What in the Woods is That?
Strange Threads
Northern Woodlands reader Harry Zane discovered these “strange white threads” in an oak log he was splitting. What are they?
A Spring Puzzle
This time of year, a walk through the woods reveals many signs of spring. Can you identify these four?
Lost Leaves
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.)
Stumped on the Trail
Northern Woodlands board member emeritus Si Balch shared this photo of a bumpy trail through the woods. What caused these icy lumps?
Baffled in the Bog
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?
Blushing Birch
We found this gray birch with splashes of red on its trunk. What caused this tree’s blush?
Hole-y Snow
We came across this hole in the snow while cross-country skiing through the woods. What happened here?
Whose Seeds are These?
In the January woods, we found these tree seeds and bracts on top of snow. Which trees dropped these?
Birch Snacks
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?
Still Life in Silhouette
We recently took this photo of a fruit laden tree in silhouette. What is it?
Corny Conundrum
Who raided a cornfield, took out a patch of stalks, and dragged them down into the wetlands?
Puzzling Piece
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?
Streamside Spectacle
We found what appeared to be scraps of dinosaur skin under the leaves by a stream. What is this?
Can You ID These Leaves?
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…
Name That Fungi
We found these funky fungi with curled back, slimy caps growing in a mixed hardwood stand in central Vermont. What are these?
Rock of Ages
Geologist Peter Thompson photographed these rocks in East Thetford, Vermont. What is the rock type, and what would you call structures like this?
Name That Berry
This time of year, summer’s bounty of blooming things is transitioning from flower to fruit. The first image was shared by Bruce Lindwall of Craftsbury, Vermont, who wrote, “There may be…
Double Mystery
Reader John Ford of Laconia, New Hampshire, shared the top photo of “strange deposits on a beech tree” the same day Jim Cummings of Kennebunk, Maine, sent in the bottom photo of a similar…
Who Cooks for You?
The barred owl’s call is often described as sounding like Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all? Owls don’t cook at all, of course, but this one (photographed by reader Sandy Dannis)…