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!).

Macabre (But Fun)

Yes, it’s a dead chipmunk. (We’re pretty sure the dog killed it, but it may have been gluttony.) Note that his mouth is full of beech nuts. Now how many beech nuts do you think this wee chippy had stuffed in his mouth at the time of his unfortunate demise?

Answer

24. (Plus 4 maple seeds for good measure.) We had no winner this time, though several people guessed 23, and some guessed 25.

Check out next week’s Outside Story to learn more about the risks/rewards of different types of chipmunk foraging behavior.

This week’s contest winner was NW