Evidence Of Sapsucker Activity

Day 123: "Rap-rap-rap!" Our local Red-Breasted Sapsuckers have a reputation for making holes in trees, a practice which frequently causes branches or even trunks to break. Their name is derived from the fact that the bird drills in order to drink the sugary sap which seeps from the wounds it has inflicted on the tree, but although they do lap up this sweet treat, they use the ooze to attract the insects which are the major source of protein in their diet. The Sapsucker will create a line of neatly spaced wells and retire from its work, returning some time later to feast on the bugs which have been drawn to the exudate. The jury is still out on whether Sapsuckers prefer trees which are already infested with insects and therefore failing, or whether they contribute to the demise of healthy trees.

Rootworks

Day 182: Lest any of my readers think that when I'm out walking, my eyes are always keen toward the ends of the botanical spectrum (i.e., invasives or rarities), I have decided to present you with a bit of Nature's art today.

This cedar root was exposed when a road was put in, but at some point in the distant past, it had its origin as a tendril. A tiny thread of living material found a crack or a hole where some soil had gathered, established itself and grew, filling the space and exerting force against the surrounding rock. Ah, what force there is in growth! Unable to resist its influence, the rock yielded. It may have shifted or it may have cracked, but in any event, it gave the root more space. Indeed, this process continues to this day. If the root remains nourished and free from disease or the ravages of age, if it persists in pushing against the seemingly stronger rock, the crack will widen to accomodate it and in time, the rock will crumble.

It would be easy to stop here to draw a lesson, but of course in Nature, the fable doesn't end with the valiant and beautiful tree's victory over the confining, cruel rock. It too shall fall, perhaps due to destroying its own underpinnings or simply from outliving its usefulness in this scenario. That's Nature, and it's been working properly on this planet for over four billion years.

Icmadophila Ericetorum, Candy Lichen

Day 134: "Who sprayed green paint all over that log?" I've heard that question asked several times, and the truth of the matter is that the "paint" is the crustose thallus of Icmadophila ericetorum, also known as "Candy Lichen" or (appropriately) "Spray Paint." The pinkish-white structures are the apothecia (fruiting bodies), not an overgrowth of a fungus as many people suppose. That said, lichens are neither fungus nor plant. In fact, they are a symbiotic union of an alga and a fungus, a co-dependent  and complex relationship which operates to the mutual benefit of each partner. Many have very specific requirements for growth. Icmadophila is often found on decaying cedar in the Pacific Northwest.