Ball Of Leaves in Your Indiana Tree Isn’t a Bird’s Nest

You might notice a massive clump of leaves in your trees, but it isn't what you think it is.

This time of year, the leaves are getting ready to bloom on trees. Before they do, you'll be able to notice things in the trees in your yard that you otherwise wouldn't with all of the leaves. Case in point...yesterday, I was moving the trash can back up to the house when I spotted a clump of leaves in the tree across the street. Now, I knew they weren't there by accident, but I had never seen a bird's nest quite that large before. Well, after a little digging, I discovered that the clump of leaves wasn't a bird's nest at all.

What is That Clump of Leaves in Your Tree?

I naturally assumed something like that in a tree belonged to a bird. However, that's not the case. Those large bundles of leaves are called a drey. These are up in the trees all year, often hidden by other leaves in the warmer months.  According to Geography Realm, when all the leaves fall from trees, you notice these large bundles still in the trees. So, what are they? As it turns out, those clump of leaves you see in trees is a hideout for squirrels. The squirrels use these dreys as a safe place to sleep, stay warm, and raise their young.  

With the amount of squirrels that I see in my yard, I was not surprised yesterday by the amount of dreys I spotted in my trees. I counted at least five of them. It's funny when you slow down and take a look at the world around you, what you'll notice. So, next time you are outside and notice a large clump of leaves in a tree and you think "That's a big bird's nest," hopefully you'll remember that it actually belongs to a squirrel.