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!).

Something Fishy on the Farm

A Vermonter went out to collect eggs and was surprised to find a guest in the coop. Who is this intruder?

Answer

A red-tailed hawk.

A red-tailed hawk, you say? Yes, a red-tailed hawk.

This particular hawk has leucism, a genetic mutation that prevents melanin (pigment) from being deposited normally on the bird’s feathers. Without melanin, the feathers – which in this case would be a mottled brown, tan, or red – appear white. Leucism is sometimes called partial or imperfect albinism, as some of the bird’s pigmentation is normal in coloring (as you can see by the bird’s standard yellow legs and beak and dark eyes).

This week’s contest winner was Paul Mayo of Lyme, NH