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!).

Maple Rings

Patricia Liddle took this photo recently in Canaan, New York. Any idea what caused these horizontal deformities in the maple?

Answer

Those are most likely calloused-over wounds from old yellow-bellied sapsucker holes. Sometimes the bird creates a series of holes at the same height around the tree; other times they make a grid up and down. Learn more here.

This week’s contest winner was Casey Cordes