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!).

Keep an Eye Out

While walking in the woods in Thetford, Vermont, Seasonal Notes columnist and former Northern Woodlands Executive Director Elise Tillinghast found this creature in a tangle of wild grape. What is this “eye” and who does it belong to?

Answer

The false eye on a Pandora sphinx moth caterpillar serves as a defense mechanism; its size tricks predators into thinking the caterpillar is a larger creature. Pandora sphinx moth caterpillars can be found feeding on plants in the grape family.

This week’s contest winner was Sharon Flower