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!).

Woodland Orb

Bruce Connor of New York sent along a photo of this “large growth by the leaf pile,” noting that the multi-tool included for reference is 6 inches long. What is it?

Answer

Giant puffball (Calvatia gigantean), though one a bit past its prime by the time the photo was taken. “They are delicious before worms get into them, which seems to happen all too quickly,” says Ginny Barlow. “Maybe the bite marks have been made by squirrels?” She recommends checking the same site next year, a bit earlier in the fall.

This week’s contest winner was Germaine Connolly of Hamilton, VA