While contemplating our big Cucumber Magnolia for some troubling die-back*, I noticed something odd. At first, I thought it was an ambitious woodpecker. This was worrisome since ambitious woodpeckers mean ill trees. But, when I put my hand against the marks, my nails fit the marks….
The red mark on trunk is about six and a half feet above the ground. You can see some other scrapes on the trunk to the bottom right.
Here is another mark, on the other side of the tree. The spacing is roughly an inch in between slashes. The sets of slash marks are roughly paired, and about four feet apart, climbing the tree.
No guesses?
It would appear that one of our local bears climbed the tree in the last few days. I agree with them that it is a lovely tree to hang out in, nice big horizontal branches, a good view, and all….but!
* It is officially #16 on the Connecticut Notable tree list for size, but may have moved up the list since the measurement. The tree is probably the most central tree in our landscape, so any dead branches are worrisome.
Acair Fearann 