Quidditch debris?
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Quidditch debris? by Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff as part of the Geograph project.
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Quidditch debris?
Image: © Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff Taken: 31 Mar 2007
The twiggy clumps often seen attached to birch branches are not left over from sports day at Hogwart's but are a gall caused by the fungus Taphrina betulina (which name does indeed sound like one of Harry Potter's chums). The tree reacts to the attack by forming this dense twiggy growth but the condition is not fatal. In Finland they are called wind's nests.
Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
Image Location
Latitude
51.940926
Longitude
-5.010924