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!).

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?

Answer

Well, he’s preening – and seemingly really enjoying it! If you follow our This Week in the Woods series, you may recall a description of this preening process from December. Ducks (and other birds) have a special gland above their tails, which produces an oil that helps waterproof plumage. This duck is reaching back to collect oil with his beak and spread it along his feathers. See the December: Week Two entry for more details – and a link to a cool video.

This week’s contest winner was Sarah A. Deuell