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What in the Woods is That?

Tricky Tracks

Reader Barry Wicklow found these slalom-like tracks through the snow on the edge of the woods in southern New Hampshire. What happened here?


Good or Bad?

Maine State Entomologist Allison Kanoti shared this image with us. Although these two things may appear to be similar – and they were found side by side on a cherry tree – they are…

Snow Top Wonder

A Northern Woodlands staff member found this creature crawling across a sunny patch of Vermont woods in late February, 2021. What is it?

Impression Question

Reader Lori van Handel found this impression in the snow on the side of Sheep Hill in Williamstown, Massachusetts – and saw the bird that made it. What happened here? And what’s your best…

Winter Red

With snow blanketing much of the Northeast, there’s not much color in the woods right now. However, if you happen to be out in a hemlock grove, you just might spot one of these shiny,…

What Weeds are These?

While walking in a field, we encountered the winter forms of three common weeds. Can you identify them?

Icy Inquiry

We spotted this only partially-frozen circular spot amid newly formed ice on the Ompompanoosuc River. What happened here?

What in the Woodpile?

Reader Frederick Thurber found this mass of tough, fibrous material stuck firmly between two logs in his woodpile. What is this?

A Paired Puzzle

Reader Peter Thompson recently discovered this worm – and odd yellow blobs – in damp soil under a barrel on his property in Thetford, Vermont. What type of worm is this? And what are the…

Invasives ID

Many invasive woody plants in our area retain their leaves well into autumn, making this a good time to identify them for future control efforts. Can you name each of these six species?

It’s a Star, It’s a Flower, It’s a…What?

Reader Kirk Gentalen shared this photo, snapped in the woods of Mid-Coast Maine after a rainy day in early fall. What is this?

Spooky Find

While walking along a forest trail in Strafford, Vermont, we noticed these charred zombie fingers poking out of an old hardwood snag – and took a photo before making a run for it. What are these?

I Spy…Spiky Leaves?

Reader Mary Heide shared this photo of a maple leaf with “strange spikes sticking out of it,” which she found at her home in Taylor County, Wisconsin. What is happening here?

Monarch Mystery

We’ve been spotting some monarch butterflies lately as they sip nectar from late summer blooms. Can you tell if this one is a male or a female? How? And – for bonus points – how is the…

Oak Oddity

We found this oak twig, sporting a cluster of interesting growths, behind the Northern Woodlands office in Lyme, New Hampshire, last week. Those are definitely not acorns. What are they?

Malformed Mushroom Mystery

We’ve found many examples of this funky fungal form along trails this past week, ranging from pale orange to brick red in color, all having the basic mushroom cap and stem shape, but none…

Circle of…Life?

We spotted this moth on a tree in Concord, New Hampshire. What species is it? What is it doing? And what’s with the dead caterpillars nearby?

Funky Ferns

On a walk in the rain, we found this silk-wrapped package of Christmas fern frond leaflets. What created this fern ball? And what benefit does it provide?

Derrière Distinction

Despite those wildlife glamour shots we all love, the truth is that we often glimpse only the backside of a creature as it hurries out of sight. Here’s a posterior shot, taken near a garden…

Insect ID

We found this insect trundling across the parking lot at the Northern Woodlands office recently. What is it? (For extra credit, what’s that yellow stuff on its body?)