A walk in the woods.

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David_Vermont Orwell, VT Jan 06, 2007

I have always liked the look of Carpinus caroliniana (musclewood), the sunlight in this picture shows off the nice sinuous look of the bark. And yes that is snow being protected in the shade!

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David_Vermont Orwell, VT Jan 06, 2007

We are right on the edge of the natural range of Carya cordiformis (bitternut). This tree is over 12 feet in circumference and has many cavities where branches once grew out of the main trunk. Cavities are so important for wildlife and I'm sure that there are a host of critters that live in this tree. I also like the sulfur colored buds of this tree which adds a nice winter interest.

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Post #3059334
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David_Vermont Orwell, VT Jan 06, 2007

Carya ovata (shagbark hickory) a tree with tons of character! Has this tree evolved to have bark that challenges squirrels in their climb up to harvest its sweet nuts before they are ripe? When this tree is young and not producing nuts there are no "shags" on it "bark".... thus my theory. My younger brother and I use to sit under this tree as kids hammering on it's nuts for the sweet meat inside.

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terryr Bureau County, IL(Zone 5a) Jan 06, 2007

Very nice pictures David. I can't get into the woods at my parents house, the invasives have taken over. We've battled a portion, but have a long way to go. Carpinus caroliniana to you is musclewood, and I know it's common name as blue beech.

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Resin Northumberland, United Kingdom(Zone 9a) Jan 06, 2007

Hi David,

Quoting:
Has this tree evolved to have bark that challenges squirrels in their climb up to harvest its sweet nuts before they are ripe? When this tree is young and not producing nuts there are no "shags" on it "bark".... thus my theory

Yes (it's not just your theory, this suggestion has been around a very long time!)

Quoting:
and has many cavities

My turn for a theory . . . those cavities look purpose-made for owls to nest in . . . owls eat squirrels . . . a squirrel killed by an owl just after the squirrel has completed its winter stores, means a whole cohort of hickory nuts carefully planted, and now free to germinate . . .

Resin

Post #3059443
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levilyla Baltimore, MD(Zone 7a) Jan 07, 2007

That's interesting Resin...I didn't know owls (barred?) great horned? eat squirrels ...... thought that the squirrels would be too big....and asleep when the owls were hunting.

Post #3062484
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terryr Bureau County, IL(Zone 5a) Jan 07, 2007

Here's an interesting link http://www.fcps.edu/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/barred_owl.htm

Quoting:
Barred Owls, like most owls, are not very active during the day. They stay in their nests until night, when they come out to hunt. Barred Owls have excellent night vision and hearing to locate prey.

Barred Owls eat a large variety of prey, including: mice, voles, shrews, moles, rats, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, opossums, bats, birds (including smaller owls), frogs, salamanders, lizards, snakes, crayfish, insects, slugs, and fish.


http://www.nps.gov/archive/olym/owl.htm

and from this one http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:8W2ldvt0S64J:www.xcelenergy.com/docs/corpcomm/engyclas/EC_WL_IN_HornedOwlLife.pdf+owls+eat+squirrels&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=6&client=firefox-a


Quoting:
Great horned owls have excellent
eyesight that helps them spot
their prey from far away, even
in the dark. Their fluffy, fringed
feathers help them fly silently, so
they are able to sneak up on prey.
They are not picky eaters! Great
horned owls have been known
to eat more than 250 different
kinds of animals. Their favorite
food is rabbit or hare, but they
will also eat squirrels, rodents,
raccoons, armadillos, bats,
snakes, turtles, lizards, frogs,
toads, fish and many kinds of
birds, even other owls.

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Kevin_5 Elburn, IL(Zone 5a) Jan 08, 2007

I watched a Great Horned Owl pluck a squirrel off a tree branch. I too used to think they were too big for an owl. He didn't have any trouble at all!

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