The Daily Bucket is a regular feature of the Backyard Science group. It is a place to note of any observations you have made of the world around you. Rain, sun, wind...insects, birds, flowers...meteorites, rocks...seasonal changes...all are worthy additions to the bucket. Please let us know what is going on around you in a comment. Include, as close as is comfortable for you, where you are located. Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns that are quietly unwinding around us.
Salish Sea
Pacific Northwest
That would be our lovely and magnificent Pacific Madrona. Follow me below the clump of curly Madrona bark to see two of its remarkable features on display right now.
We were waiting in line, going off for the holidays last week. As usual, we were there early, so I got out to stretch my legs. There were orange cones along the edge of my ferry lane so I had to see what that was about.
(All photographs are in Lightbox; click on an image to embiggen)
The rock face had fallen way in this spot. Several decades ago, bedrock was removed here for a new access road. You can see the vertical boreholes along the visible face. On either side of this spot there are Madrona stumps, and on the left, the roots of one have burrowed right down through the rock as far as we can see, possibly deeper. Rocks have fallen below this tree.
Madronas are exceptionally well adapted to rocky habitat, anchoring in tiny crevices, like the fingertips of a rock climber, and then splitting the rock as the roots grow larger. This is a powerful example of organic weathering, effectively demolishing solid rock, what we usually attribute to physical weathering processes like frost wedging, water action, and thermal stress. Other biological organisms - such as lichens,mosses, mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria - actively break down rock in more subtle ways.
I gather the bedrock here was weakened by weathering and gave way. Measures have now been taken to prevent the roots of Madronas from doing any further rock splitting (see stumps).
There are many Madrona trees (Arbutus menziesii) on this rocky headland, young and old. Their curvy trunks and branches are unique in the Northwest. Madronas prefer an open sunny setting, and can be overtopped and shaded by our tall conifers. We see them mostly on inhospitable bedrock bluffs where it's difficult for other trees to successfully take hold.
The older Madronas are in full fruit just now, branches laden with bright red berries. Though astringent to our taste, they are very popular with birds, deer and raccoons. A flock of American Robins rustled amongst the branches plucking berries - I could track their presence by that movement. The Robins are migratory, but we see them all year round: our winter Robins are a different set from the summer Robins. Generally speaking, in summer they are more solitary, feeding on worms, bugs and such, while the winter Robins flock together, feeding on berries.
Some other birds that feast on Madrona berries are Cedar Waxwings, Band-Tailed Pigeons and Varied Thrushes. Here's one of the Varied Thrushes, with its distinctive color pattern, well-camouflaged by the red berries and branches. He's a male: as with the Robins, the males have brighter colors. VTs spend the summer up in mountain forests, wintering down here in the lowlands. There are local reports of breeding Varied Thrushes in the islands in summer, but that is rare. Even in winter they are much less common than the Robins.
There's much more to share about the Pacific Madrona. It's possible there may be future Buckets with this very lovely tree...;-)
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What's happening in your neighborhood, or on your travels? The Bucket is open for your observations.
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