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!).
Bob Shafto of Falmouth, Maine, submitted this photo of a fuzzy growth he found attached to a white oak seedling. What is it?
It’s a wool sawyer gall, also called an oak seed gall. It’s only found on white oaks, and is created by a small wasp: Callirhytis seminator.
This week’s contest winner was Anja Timm