That Big Ball of Leaves in Your New York Tree Isn’t a Bird Nest

There's a silver lining to the bitter cold of a Hudson Valley winter: bare trees let us see things we'd otherwise miss. Sometimes, however, looks can be deceiving.

There are more than 18 million acres of forests in New York State. Usually, most tree-dwelling life is hidden behind the canopy of leaves, but when those leaves fall, residents are given a rare glimpse into what goes on high above their heads.

When the leaves fall, New York residents get to see the secret life that happens high up in the branches (TSM Poughkeepsie)

Hidden Nests in New York State

My first experience with the hidden life of tree-dwelling animals came the week we moved into our house in Newburgh, NY. I almost lost an eye when I startled a family of birds when I came too close to a giant bush in our front yard.

When winter came, it exposed not one but two nests hiding inside (below). But what about the balls of leaves that are seen high up in tree branches?

When the leaves fell from this bush, it exposed two bird nests hiding inside (TSM Poughkeepsie)

Who Makes Those Leaf Balls in New York Trees?

I was curious about what type of bird made such a messy home. All the nests I'd seen before were carefully crafted structures, and the size of the leaf nests also suggested the architect was a much larger animal.

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As it turns out, the residents of the leave nests don't have any feathers at all.

While the animal that does make this structure definitely has the same energy as the rag-tag nest it builds, the ball of leaves actually hides a much more structured home inside. Take a look at the architect below.