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!).

Who Parked in the Bark?

Now that spring has officially arrived, here’s a warm weather WITWIT to get you in the mood for spring. Who stuffed these nesting materials beneath the bark of a dying elm?

Answer

A brown creeper. As its name implies, this little brown bird moves stealthily up the trunks of trees, gleaning insects. Both parent birds help to collect materials for the nest, but the female is the main architect - she sticks it all together under loose bark, using spider webs, cocoons and other sticky stuff.

This week’s contest winner was Ron Becker