odd found in the forest...

[forrestdweller]

i went for a short walk this afternoon and found a large lump (ca. size of a human head) of finely-shredded cedar bark on the ground. this is not the 1st time i found them laying around but so far i have no clue reg. their origin... . my guess would be some sort of nest material, but looking up in the surrounding trees i never managed to find a nest.... nor marks on trees created when pulling of bark, either... . my guess would be squirrel but they seem to be rather rare around here- i saw only one time a japanese squirrel since arriving... .

anyone a suggestion what might be their origin?! (btw.: it makes great material for fire starting )

 

[Harvestman]

Could it have been pulled from a hole in the ground (I realise it would have to be got from a tree first) as bedding for some sort of rodent or ground squirrel, or from a tree hole? I don't know what creatures you have around you. It sounds like nest clearing activity, removing the bedding from last year's den to replace it with fresh (good way of removing parasites like fleas).

 

[forrestdweller]

i did not see any holes in the ground which would have been large enough... nor were the trees surrounding the spot where i found it big/old enough (this one i found in a stand of cedars)....
nest clearing activity would be my guess, too....

 

[homesicksteve]

Tengu

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengu

 

[forrestdweller]

Tengu

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengu

i'm somewhat sure i was'nt looking into a mirror....

 

[homesicksteve]

i'm somewhat sure i was'nt looking into a mirror....

Watch out for the Foxes in those forests too....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsune

 

[Trojan]

Do you often see human heads in the woods near you??

 

[forrestdweller]

Do you often see human heads in the woods near you??

so far only attached to human shoulders (and the rest of the body!)- but not too many where i go (glad about that!) as i normally go bushbashing/ on little-used forest trails.... . i have seen only one fox so far and that was dead (see my thread about ""fox carcass"")