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!).

Branchbreak

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

Answer

A bear broke this beech branch off the tree to access beech nuts while feeding in the canopy of the tree. As Susan Morse explained in her piece on bear nests in the Autumn 2017 issue, “a bear will climb a tree and then stand or sit upon heavier branches while reaching up and pulling smaller, fruit-laden limbs inward.” The size and toughness of beech wood is an indicator of the strength and of this bear, and doing so while in the canopy of the tree is an indicator of its dexterity.

This week’s contest winner was Kitt Langdell