Some Mad Bark

Image: © Ian Dodds Taken: 21 May 2022

If ever I get famous in later life (highly unlikely), or posthumously (even more unlikely!), people may in the future study my submissions of the coming months and correctly assume I was going through a 'tree phase' at the time. Since I spend a lot of my time wandering around the countryside I have decided it is high time I at least attain a basic proficiency in tree identification. Despite there being only around 80 species of trees (about 55 of which are designated as 'native') appearing in the wild, it is not as easy as I hoped. This scaly specimen is a case in point. I am 95% certain it is an old silver birch (people I have shown the picture to, though, are not convinced), because a) it looked like silver birch bark further up, and b) there is an obvious thin birch growing up from the middle of its split trunk. Online pictures of old silver birch do show trunks approaching this state, but none quite as pronounced. Whatever it is, it is certainly eye-catching. There are a number of good paths around here. Despite the fact that you can hear traffic all the time from the nearby old A8 bit of the M8 (which is now no longer a connecting part of the motorway, but still in heavy use) this is definitely an area well worth a visit, which still has a very rural feel.

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