Interesting tree markings

The purpose of this forum is to help people identify things they've seen while out hiking: wildflowers, trees, birds, insects, small animals, animal tracks, even geographical features like buttes or streams
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BigBear
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Joined: October 1st, 2009, 11:54 am

Re: Interesting tree markings

Post by BigBear » October 29th, 2021, 8:21 am

I've seen woodpeckers at the base of trees and on fallen logs. They go where the food is.

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bobcat
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Location: SW Portland

Re: Interesting tree markings

Post by bobcat » October 29th, 2021, 9:08 am

Woodpeckers, especially the pileated, often work at ground level. However, these scars don't have the bill penetration you'd expect and there's cross hatching. It seems like a porcupine tried several times to get to the juicy phloem layer (which is what they're after) but didn't quite get enough to feed on, possibly because the tree is dead or dying.

Scratch. I just saw something very similar to this and am almost certain it was a woodpecker's work. I'm assuming the tree was diseased or dead.

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Chip Down
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Joined: November 8th, 2014, 8:41 pm

Re: Interesting tree markings

Post by Chip Down » October 29th, 2021, 5:10 pm

bobcat wrote:
October 29th, 2021, 9:08 am
Woodpeckers, especially the pileated, often work at ground level. However, these scars don't have the bill penetration you'd expect and there's cross hatching. It seems like a porcupine tried several times to get to the juicy phloem layer (which is what they're after) but didn't quite get enough to feed on, possibly because the tree is dead or dying.
I wonder if I've seen phloem referenced even once in my post-high-school years.
Yay bobcat! :geek:

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