Long expected, this huge dead tree went down in a windstorm last week, taking with it a parrot nest. I saw one dead parrot, and of course there could be several more.
The tree had a double trunk. One side fell on one side of the power pole, and one side on the other. But the power line was still there! How was that possible?
It took us an embarrassingly long time to figure out that the power company had already been out to repair the line: note the shiny new clamps on the darker pole….
Several months ago, we were quite dismayed to find loggers destroying a significant number of trees (and hence shade) where we walk dogs. I just ran across this photo I took, illustrating why it’s less dismaying than it might seem. My shoe is size 13 (45), so that stump grew from nothing to 24″ (61 cm) in 18 years.
In a wonderful book The Hidden Life of Trees, the author tells of doing a core sample of a spruce sapling, the width of this thumb (say, the first two rings) and about a meter tall. He was astounded to discover it was 80 years old!
So the trees will be back, as long as people stop setting fires.
It is widely accepted now that the last big fire was the work of an arsonist.
A scene from yesterday: dried stump from last year’s fire springs into flame.
The “Boo!” tree, 30 November 2017 and 20 October 2020
31 December 2021
I’ve had this photo a couple months; never got around to trying to find out why a fire-damaged pine tree was foaming one day.
“…what you were looking at is a common bacterial disease among deciduous trees called slime flux. Now, if that is not a disgustingly descriptive name I do not know what is. Another name is wetwood because of the water-soaked marks on the trunk of infected trees.
“There are several bacteria that are associated with this disease and no one single organism has been identified as the main culprit. As the bacteria grow inside the tree (usually in damaged areas of the wood), carbon dioxide gas is released as fermentation occurs.
“This release of gas increases the pressure in the tree and forces sap to the outside, resulting in wet areas on the trunk. This is called fluxing and results in large, dark regions on the trunk once the flux is exposed to air. These wet areas become breeding grounds for other microorganisms – as alcohols are produced in this mess, bubbles or foam form as well as foul smells.
“I am surprised you did not see many insects feeding on the “brew” because this alcohol mixture attracts many bees, beetles and other larval forms to the concoction. Fortunately, the insects do not do any harm and there has not been any indication that the insects can act as a vector for the disease and spread it to other healthy trees in the area.”
source
Erosion around tree roots on the beach. There’s also a dog in there.
Walking the dog in town, I liked the way the sky seemed to be like energy extending from the tree. The pigeon was a happy accident.
Yesterday these still trees were pretty in the afternoon light with a cloudless sky. The last time I walked here it was cloudy, with strong and gusty winds…I felt a little uncomfortable, for some reason.
Until we moved to Uruguay, I thought all trees sort of got along. Then I noticed the small pear tree in the front yard had branches growing toward the neighbor’s bushes, then reversing course and curving in the opposite direction (photo except I gave up on it and removed it recently).
Likewise the lemon tree in the backyard apparently doesn’t like the pine (look closely). And the entire anacahuita to its left is leaning away from the lemon tree.
So I decided to remove the pine branch infringing on the lemon tree’s space, but spotted a nest. It’s the middle of winter, so no chance there would be birds in it, but got out the taller ladder to be sure.
This is the nest.
Lots of wind recently, and this morning I noticed another nest in the grass.
The pine tree provides shade, which is good, but I had thought about cutting several meters off the top. Didn’t do it mostly because it wold be very messy, given pine sap. However, this past year I have become aware of how birds just love its dense foliage. I won’t be removing more than necessary.
