This odd looking nest is almost 3 feet wide. It was built on top of a witches' broom on a balsam fir tree. A fungus invades the tree and causes it to form a witches' broom which is an excessively twiggy, clump-like formation.
In this case, something (we're suspecting mice) carried bits of deer hair, up 15 feet to where the witches' broom was and covered the entire thing with hair. We don't think that birds ever nested in it because it's completely flat and not cup-shaped.
The deer carcass was found about 50 feet away from the tree. It looked like it might have been there a year or two. We're thinking that the mice lived inside the nest. No one we've asked is quite sure. Odd or what?
This odd looking nest is almost 3 feet wide. It was built on top of a witches' broom on a balsam fir tree. A fungus invades the tree and causes it to form a witches' broom which is an excessively twiggy, clump-like formation.
In this case, something (we're suspecting mice) carried bits of deer hair, up 15 feet to where the witches' broom was and covered the entire thing with hair. We don't think that birds ever nested in it because it's completely flat and not cup-shaped.
The deer carcass was found about 50 feet away from the tree. It looked like it might have been there a year or two. We're thinking that the mice lived inside the nest. No one we've asked is quite sure. Odd or what?
That is odd. I've seen tree rat nests kind of like that around here, but I'm not sure if you have those there.
ReplyDeleteCould it be an old nest of a large raptor? They often build big flat nests.
The deer hair is really strange.
Totally fascinating.
ReplyDeleteWhat about a squirrel nest?
ReplyDeleteI think you may be right Dusty. My friend John has some biologist friends who also think squirrel nest. Good call.
ReplyDeleteWow. I've never seen anything like this even though we have plenty of squirrel nests around here. Maybe it's the former home of a squirrel eccentric.
ReplyDelete