WOW, what an awesome find! This wasn’t made by any bird; this was made by a black bear, and it isn’t actually a nest at all! During the fall these bears feast on the seeds and nuts of American beech and oak trees to build up their fat layer for winter. Black bears will climb almost to the top of these trees and spend a whole day stripping every branch of its nuts. Once they are done with each branch, they will begin to make a pile by stacking them at the junction of two branches. If you happen to hike back to this tree, check around the tree for claw marks on the bark from the bear climbing the tree. It’s important to mention that if this “nest” had included lots of leaves as well as the branches, it would likely be a squirrel’s nest!