Tuesday, February 13, 2018

More from the Woods

A few more photos from my three walks through the Hemlock bush over the past week.  I think I'll be exploring this place a lot more in the future.

Some very nice big Hemlock in this forest gave a dark appearance in places, though obviously the snow brightened it up.

These weren't huge Hemlock, but a few of them were a good size, tall and straight.  I've read that half the original barns in southern Ontario were built of Hemlock, and the rest of the Hemlock were cut for tannin used in the tanning industry.

Another of those low branches that dumps snow down your neck if you brush the low end of the branch.


Lots of Beech saplings in the understory.

I also spotted a patch of the fertile fronds of Ostrich Fern in the distance, down in the lower area by the creek.  They stand up above the snow all winter.

I was glad I had a friend to lead me in the first time.  When we got through to the back part of the woods there were few Hemlock or Beech left, and it was mostly a deciduous forest of Sugar Maple.

But I did spot one big old double-trunked Yellow Birch.

At one point I did see what I thought was a huge big Hemlock in the distance, but as I tramped toward it, it dissolved into two separate smaller trees.  And they're not Hemlock either, just poplar.

How's this for some distorted wood grain on that big old gnarly Beech.

And these are some of the fungus that attacks the Beech trees.

How's this for a pattern!?



21 comments:

  1. I hope some research station is working on how to take care of the Beech Trees, that last photo looks like the white waxy stuff that begins a deadly invasion to kill the trees. Here we have Bronze Birch Borers that kill the Birch trees...very few survive:(

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  2. You got some beautiful photos of the snowy woods. Thanks for taking us along with you on your hike.

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  3. The last photo is Script lichen, Graphis scripta. Photos here: http://www.waysofenlichenment.net/lichens/Graphis%20scripta

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  4. It's good to see so many trees. You seem to know a lot about them. Knowledge of trees is one bit of nature that I'm lacking in even though I love being among them so much.

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  5. We never get snow like that, make me envious

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  6. Just stay out there, and I'll continue to follow along. Great shots -The Tree Hugger

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  7. I love hemlock. Our beech bark fungus hardly ever congeals into blobs like that. It just dots the tree all over

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  8. Lovely walk in your forest. It's a beautiful place to explore for many years to come. :-)

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  9. Great pictures of the winter wonderland .

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  10. Hello FG!:) The trees look beautiful in their white winter garbs, especially when the sun shines on them. The Gnarled tree is curious! I'm guessing that Hemlock wood must be a hardy timber for making barns,...perhaps better than any other kind, or perhaps just plentiful at the time!

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  11. art work in the trees, how beautiful!!!

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  12. Beautiful pictures of winter in the trees. Interesting to see a double trunked birch. Probably a rarity.

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  13. Lovely photos . So many interesting markings on trees isn't there ?! Our snow is melting like mad now with the warm sun shining and our temps rising to +5 and all the snow is dropping off of our trees now and grass is slowly showing . Tons of rain for us over night and all day tomorrow . Thanks for sharing , have a good day !

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  15. Sorry, but those pale shapes on the beech tree aren't the nectria fungus that kills the beech. What you photographed is actually a crustose lichen.

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  16. I sure wish you were still able to get around as you used to...I can sure understand how you feel looking back on this day...I had not thought till I read this that two years ago yesterday I fell and had three breaks in my leg....ankle foot area. I got fracture blisters and was not allowed to even put weight on my foot till in April or May. Funny how life can change in an instant....I get around okay, but awkward in some things, I have to be careful on uneven ground, and very slow going up and down ladders.

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  17. We all say it, 'enjoy the daily moments' but until something serious happens unexpectedly - we don't always take it seriously. Thank the good Lord for memories. It made me sad to read the first line in your 2018 posting. Life does go on though and you took so many memorable pictures to live through now.

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  18. Such a beautiful collection of photographs.

    All the best Jan

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