This was an interesting post on Algonquin Park's Facebook page earlier this week....i had no idea!=0.9375rem[url=https://www.facebook.com/AlgonquinProvPark?__cft__[0]=AZUNcI4pVaafq0qSCp5a9WqZqNWadaASFRPbB1vbEv1jggDKIGt51Ksuyfqw8fV2xdaPVqyL4JLWNaLVENRKOkN6lJmkLtbbtKVmCedZQsF4nj-KGxC6iQZM6sxWnlTfsKPs-Y0wdOWogkMoYv9Jbvg64Dxp7tIZYHLrs9CrODxfEN7beYMElbfwyAx41_eZhxocZRD9imX6YYOFIg6Rlhn_bAIW0SxDQf7X47NZ0qJnjg&__tn__=-UC%2CP-y-R]Algonquin Provincial Park[/url]=0.8125rem  · =0.9375remMaybe some of you have seen massive nests like the one pictured above. These nests are not made from a bird or a squirrel, but rather from Black Bears! Although our Black Bears are now hibernating for the winter, these structures are easy and interesting signs of bears. With the leaves gone, it is much easier to spot them and other animal-made structures in trees. Known as bear nests, these structures are made of clusters of broken branches while bears are up high in the canopy feeding on nuts such as beech or acorns. Despite the name “nest”, these are not structures where bears rest. When a bear sits in a tree's crotch to feed, they pull branches closer to them to eat buds, fruit, nuts, or leaves. When they break these branches, they place them in piles so that the food can be safely and comfortably consumed. If the nest you have found is in a Beech Tree, take a close look at the bark. Beech bark is incredibly soft, and claw marks can often be seen on their trunks from bears climbing up to have a snack of Beech nuts. These nuts are an especially important, nutrient-dense food source for Black Bears in the fall, as they have more protein and fat than acorns, preparing them for a long winter of no eating.