Was out planting around the base of a Bur Oak and...

I was out planting around the base of a Bur Oak and look what I found!

OK, what is it or are they? I see animal bones and a wasp nest? Or a fungus? Huh? Come on Equil, help out the less intelligent here.

Forget you snapple! I have no idea what that is. That's a first for me! I'm freaking out right now waiting for one of the heavy hitters to post to tell me what it is. I've never run across that working in the Forest Preserve and I can tell you I crawled around here examining the bases of several other Oaks trying to figure out if I have an isolated occurrence of something or a total infestation. You have no idea what I look like right now after crawling around the bases of about 10 Oaks so far. I still haven't a clue as to whether this is friend or foe and didn't have any time to research it so I ran inside to take a photo and enlarge it. I could barely see well enough when I was planting at the base of that Oak to see what was going on when I was outside and it took me downloading the image and enlarging it to get a good look.

Looks like somethings working on decomposing the bark at the base of your oak there.

I don't have any disease books handy, but you all with fast computers could google for basal rot or butt rot on oaks and will probably get plenty to peruse.

I'm sure Guy has seen this sort of thing plenty. I assume you've not spent any time ramming your trees with mowers, or whipping them with weedeaters. What was their history prior? This sort of thing shows up pretty often around the parks, due to poor past practices.

He used the weed whacker in by the trees in my orchard and did some major damage there but not in this area.

I removed around a thousand Buckthorns from the immediate area and probably another 50 Siberian Dogwoods and at least that many Japanese Honeysuckles and Burning Bushes. The area was totally degraded and there was absolutely no regeneration of native hardwoods.

I've seen one type of butt rot before and I don't recall anything like this. This sort of looks like an insect took up residence at the base of the tree to me.

I wonder if some insect that's living in your mulch or forest duff has found the dead outer bark to its liking? Or perhaps it's a superficial saprophytic fungus or lichen that happens to be cup shaped? Hard to see -- are the areas around each hole raised? If so, are they on the surface and can they be pried loose leaving intact bark beneath? I wouldn't be too worried about it, but if you can't pry them off I would make a narrow excavation and see where and how deep one of the holes can be traced, and if there's anything noteworthy at the other end of your micro-tunnel.

The bones are more interesting! How big are they? Difficult to tell without anything for scale.

And what were you planting -- good stuff from the WO meeting? Did you tell everyone who decided not to attend, just to make them jealous, that we were buying armloads of gorgeous prairie plants tor $1.00 apiece? I shoulda brought my truck!!!

Guy S.

It could be Cyathus stercoreus or C. olla - one of the birds nest fungi. I am getting this from a Macmillan field guide for mushrooms. Appears very similar.

Guess I'll have to do some more investigating and get more photos for you all to peruse.

Snapple, it might very well be a birds nest fungus but the first you mentioned grows on a combo of plant and manure and the other one grows on organic debris in the soil and both are considerably larger than what I have according to what I read on line. I still think you may have a hit there but we may have to find out which bird's nest fungus it is.

I didn't even notice the bones until you two mentioned them. I used to feed a pair of Turkey Vultures here but I haven't seen them here at all this year so they must have moved on to greener pastures or else some idiot shot them. I tossed out everything imaginable for them to include frozen HOSPs and Starlings, left over turkeys and chickens from dinner, as well as fresh road kill of cats and raccoons and such that I scraped off the road (I carry a shovel and a hefty garbage bag in the trunk of my car). I loved those turkey vultures and nothing was too good for momma's babies. They are magnificent animals. I suspect those bones are leftovers from turkey vulture days but they are sort of odd being there as generally mice and such use them to file down their teeth.

Yes, I was out planting all 8 of the plant plugs I bought for a buck a piece but I was more so getting an order from Heronswood in the ground that came in yesterday. Then I went out with my flashlight to water plants.

Aha! Someone else who goes out with a flashlight to water plants. I'm sure the neighbors think I'm nuts. But it gets hot in the day, and sometimes I don't get home from class until almost 11 at night. I lose enough vegetables to the heat as it is.

I ran the flashlight dead or I would still be out there. The neighbors already think I'm certifiable. Several have driven past me on the road scraping up road kill dressed for work in high heels. I did have one neighbor that curiosity got the best of and she came right out and asked me what I was doing with all the dead raccoons. I had originally been out there for several months trying to find ones that weren't badly squashed to be able to make coon hats for my manly husband and the boys to wear to camp but after everyone had a coon hat, I decided to keep up the good work for the Turkey Vultures. She said one word, "Oh". The people around here do not have a sense of humor.

Say White_Hydrangea, the big question is....
Do you water in your underwear and a t-shirt in the early morning hanging on to the hose with one hand a dog leash on the other?
How about a bathrobe with something to drink in one hand while trying to water with something to eat in the other hand?

That's an "OOH"!

I'll send you my dead coons. We have lots. Also, squirrels, deer, cats, and the occasional blue jay that Albert the Mighty Black Hunter Cat gets on the wing even tho he wears a bell to warn off blue things. My son begged for a coonskin cap after I rented the old Fess Parker movie Davy Crockett for him but I could not bring myself to tan hides even for him. Perhaps you will oblige if you have an extra?

Actually if I could curb the chipmunk population that would be welcome - they are causing serious havoc in a stone retaining wall this summer and I'm afraid I must report it is starting to fall down in places. Well actually the deer were climbing it after some luscious non-tree plant. Am I on the wrong forum? Albert had them in line for a long time but he seems to be taking a siesta on chips this year. I should've put some of those castor beans out - that would have given them a nasty stomach ache and taught them a lesson.

It almost looks like dirtdobber.

There are some sorts of bees that build clusters of small pot-shaped mud nests like this.

Resin

Looks a little to me of what we call "shotgun fungus." This shows up in mulch and forms mini fungi volcanoes that blow black sticky spores on cars and house siding. I can't tell from the photo, are the holes at the tops of little nubbins, or are they in the bark?

Equil, I must say you paint a picture. Bathrobe nighttime yard forays to water plants, hose and leash in one hand, a drink in the other, clattering over mounds of bones left over from feeding vultures roadkill. Getting caught roadside in business attire with a shovel full of ...something. To quote one of my favorite lines from "Raising Arizona": "Well, it sure ain't Ozzie and Harriett, that's for sure." All I can say is it's probably good you were not born in Colonial times, say, anywhere around Salem, Massechusetts!

Scott

Hey Andrea, the bells on cats don't work. There are studies out there. I'm sure if I dig around here I can cite the literature.

I haven't been scraping up road kill in about a year because my Turkey Vultures haven't come back but I'd be more than happy to do so for your little boy if you are serious. There's a taxodermist place up the road and I just hand him the bag complete with the road kill in it. It's $150 for a hat if you provide the raccoon and $225 if you don't. Just for the heck of it, check e-Bay. I bought one on line from them that was almost brand new for only $60 plus shipping. The real coon hats don't appear in great condition all that frequently but from time to time they do show up. Depends on how much time you have to search eBay. Forgot to mention that the taxodermist cleans the hides. Cleaning a hide would be pushing it for me but I'll gladly scrape with a shovel and bag.

Guy, a photo would be boring. Those t-shirts are all over sized and they're about the eqivalent of a long swimming suit cover-up.

Yes, probably a good thing I wasn't born around the time of the Salem Witch Trials or I would most assuredly have been accused of being a witch.

I'll get more photos this weekend when I am back outside working. I know exactly where that tree was.

Equil!!! Shhhh.......I told you not to tell anyone how I water! Hush up puleeze!! Now I'm gonna have every tom dick and harry driving by morning and night!

Birds of a feather...

Which reminds me....I need to go move the hose......

We figured out the bells don't work because the weasel cat brings down full grown blue jays with one on. He's a stealth hunter. Had to get off the pet forums in Gweb long ago because those people think cats should sit in a window with an electric candle. And I don't so I hope I don't have to defend letting him out. I have some cute PJ's with hats and flamingos on them. From a distance maybe they pass for an outfit. I wouldn't let anybody get closer than the length of a football field tho.. Except one morning the meter reader surprised me. I was backing up as fast as I could go and he just yelled out - 'I've seen it all". I was thinking - Well, thats news to me before I realized he meant somebody else.

I'm going to have to pass on the road kill. But thank you so much for the kind offer. Why did you get a coonskin cap anyway? We had a cool Turkey Buzzard come and sail right down the middle of the road just a few days ago and the kids were hanging out the car windows looking. He landed on a utility pole and kept his wings opened. I think I knew they did that for a reason but I've forgotten what it might be.

I watered last night. Nanner nanner nanner. Move that hose baby and you better keep soaking as its supposed to be over 100 again tomorrow.

Andrea, you might want to take the collar off unless it's one of those release collars. They really don't give birds a first alert anyway as you already know and you could end up with a dead cat and a housefull of crying kids. I don't know if you are aware of this but you can take a piece of half inch elastic and write your last name on it with your phone number with a Sharpie and if he ever gets picked up he'd have a collar on yet on the other hand if he ever lost his footing he wouldn't be at risk getting hung up on a tree or something. Around here, the plain old elastic qualifies as a collar to Animal Control. Maybe not in your area.

Hats and flamingos? You sexy thing you!

I didn't get a coon skin hat for myself. I had one made for my husband and each kid other than the one I bought from eBay and I have no idea who got that because they all look alike. They go camping a lot and they like to be manly wearing their coon hats sitting around an open fire with other manly boys and their fathers belching and passing gas. It's a guy thing I am told and aside from that... they all watched Davy Crockett starring Fess Parker. Moms aren't allowed at these gatherings. Pity.

I forgot to mention I had one raccoon made into a quiver for one kid who is into archery. Now that is way cool. Same price as a hat if you provide the raccoon.

My husband has a 'coon tail boa....from ebay. I found it for Christmas one year. He wore it, with my purple bathrobe, to the hospital for his knee surgery a while back.
:-)

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh no, git yerself yer own beer boy or I'm calling your wife to git you in line! Moms not allowed... remember.

Where's sofer? He'll done git you a beer.

The third line I always sang was , "Raised in the woods so he knew every tree."

We've got it on cd. It's been a while since I saw the movie so I don't remember the words however it did leave an impression so we purchased an autographed photograph from him and it's hanging on one of the kid's walls upstairs and Fess Parker is wearing his coon hat. Me, I'd prefer skunk if I was going to have one. I think the black and white contrast would really accentuate my Cruella DeVille look which would truly complete my watering ensemble.

I could not watch Danil Boone cause Petticoat Junction was on at the same time. I couldn't miss that one."Gitter up........ Pettycoat Junction" I always liked to look at the trains you know the chi chi or I mean choo choos. LOL. every man needs to hunker round the fire and spit and let things loose that are under pressure. And that aint just beer.

Speakin of sofer!

How be you sofer?

Roadkill Collector,
You ever heard that Mike Snyder song, 'Puttin' on the Dog'?
Goes like this rite cheer:

Since all her friends have got one, my wife is wantin' one too.
A fur coat, and there ain't nothin' else gon' do.
I's sittin' there thinkin' bout how I's gonna swing this deal.
She knows we can't afford one, and I'm too afraid to steal.

But the problem finally solved itself, like a bolt out of the blue.
It just jumped right out in front of me on Highway Twenty-two.
That big ol' German Shepherd, my car he didn't see...
He went to Dog Heaven and left his hide there with me.

For six weeks in the basement, I worked on it every night.
It was trial and error, but I finally got it right.
I put it in a Captain Crunch box and carried it upstairs to her.
She French-kissed me when she seen her fur.

Refrain:
She don't know that Fido is wrapped around her tight,
She's really puttin' on the dog when she goes out at night.

Now she's got that fuzzy fur coat,
Reaches all the way down to her knees
But lately she's been complainin'
Says her closet's plum full of fleas.

Repeat refrain.

She's been mighty depressed since I backed out over the cat,
But I betcha she's gonna smile real big...when I show her that new fur hat!

Dave's Garden/Tree and Shrub Forum: Always entertaining!
Back to the picture. If, in fact, this is a closely contained pile of bones; it could be that it decomposed with the help of the larva of many kinds of fly or other insect. The "casings" pictured could be those larva in pupate form resting up and changing to the winged adult. I could have been much more discriptive here, but all I've had for breakfast is a cup of coffee. Ken

Good 'ole Lucky pulled something out of his bag of tricks that is suitable for cutting and pasting and sending to a few male friends of mine. Too funny.

I've missed you Ken and so have others. Glad you're back. Sorry you only had coffee for breakfast. You'll have to add some scrambled eggs and toast so you can elaborate in the future. I feel deprived of a good laugh right about now.

Okay , Lucky! That's one good song for the archives. HA!!!

I no expert Equil but those look like insect pupae homes. Too symetrical for fungus or other evil dooers. I'm up in Alaska and it is cool High yesterday was 56 F and drizzel. I bet you guys are cooking. My wife is in Michigan suffering.

First time I looked at the photo, I was thinking small animal bones, too - but the more I look at it, the more they all (or, at least, most) just look like bur oak twigs - several with terminal bud clusters visible.

On closer inspection I see one possible animal bone, the curved lighter colored one perpendicualr to the trunk. Looks like a chicken bone.

I think you should survey the area for remains of pentagrams and candle stubs . . .

:-)