Species Feature #4, Oyster Mushroom

Since everything so far in these capsules has been an animal, I decided it was time for a change. Since mycology is a pretty major focus of my naturalist activities, it's only appropriate to highlight some fungi for you. The oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) is very common, very delicious, grows gregariously, can be found year round, and is relatively easy to identify. In other words, they are fungal ambrosia. One thing I should throw out there as a technicality: there are several similar species which, for all intents and purposes, are the same. However, we have to trust our scientists, and if they tell me that a specimen I have is really Pleurotus populinus I won't argue. But, unless there's a practical difference I don't much care. I'm glad I'm aware of this, but I also won't split hairs. If it's close enough to be referred to as a "species complex" differentiating the species from one another is probably beyond me at this point anyway.

This mushroom is quite variable in appearance, but this I think is a good general photo. Classically their growth pattern is a little different.

Pleurotus ostreatus Quick Facts

Common Name(s): oyster mushroom

Taxonomic Breakdown:

• Kingdom -Fungi
• Phylum - Basidiomycota
• Class - Agaricomycetes
• Order - Agaricales
• Family - Tricholomataceae
• Genus - Pleurotus
• Species - ostreatus

Range: Worldwide (with some exceptions) in temperate and subtropical woods and forests

Here it is found glowing atop a log instead of hanging from the side of a tree or stump. Different configuration, slightly different coloring, same mushroom.

If I tried to describe the mushroom's features (cap, stem, gills, growth habits, substrates, etc) I would only be copying the work of others - and there are only so many ways to say "stem absent or lateral" and so forth. Instead, I will link you to some quality sites.

It's a bold move to call your site Mushroom Expert. It may even seem pretentious from anyone other than a doctor of mycology. Here's the thing: it isn't. Michael Kuo, who runs the site, absolutely knows what he's talking about. He's an English teacher, so he's also knows how to talk about it. Anyway, here's Kuo's writeup of oyster mushrooms.

Tom Volk is another expert, albeit one I'm less familiar with.
Mycoweb is another excellent site.
And another, which points out some of the other similar and hard to separate species.

There is a species (or maybe many species) of beetle which REALLY loves this mushroom. I have only found it referred to as a "small black beetle" but it has been remarked upon in relation to this mushroom quite a bit.

Here I am preparing for the harvest. I'm not sure what that look on my face is. Photo credit to Laurel.

The two clusters of oyster mushroom pictured above were collected from two places I've already discussed in detail on this blog: Watkins Regional Park (the specimens hanging from above) and Rock Creek Park (the specimens growing up from the log).

Naturalism on Speed: The Challenge

I've decided to turn a previous post here into a personal challenge. I recently began updating this post every time I came across a new species while cycling, and decided to turn this into a bit of a game. The longer my list grew, the more I found myself squinting at everything I passed, striving further and further to coax identity from animals and plants alike. I've set the arbitrary but (I hope) reachable goal of fifty successfully identified species before the end of THE BIG RIDE which is happening at the end of this month. I've also decided on a second challenge: an even hundred by the end of this year.

The Rules

No challenge is complete without a set of rules, and this will be no exception. This isn't just a test to see how many species can be found in this area, or to prove how much diversity abounds. This is a test of observational skills as well.

Rule #1: Only animals, plants, and fungi (read: macroscopic life) which can be identified with certainty may be counted. None of this "well, that looked like a ________" business. For example: I have passed several sumacs - and known that they were sumacs - but since several sumac species occur in this region and I can't tell with my naked eye while passing at 15-20 mph which is which, I have omitted them from my list. That said, if only the merest shred of doubt as to a specimen's identity can be raised, I will count it.

Rule #2: Species are eligible for this list only if they can be identified without making any "unnatural" stops. A "natural" stop is one which must be made for the purposes of the ride only. Reasons for such a stop include but are not limited to: traffic signals, bicycle maintenance, checking directions, nutritional intake, and waste evacuation. Since the spirit of this exercise is rapid identification, stopping to literally smell the roses is not allowed. Nor is stopping to fondle the trees, collect the mushrooms, gawk at the squirrel, etc.

Rule #3: Retroactive identification is not allowed, except for refining information I already possess. In other words, I have to know what I'm seeing when I see it (at least a common name, and vague things like "maple" or "frog" don't count). This doesn't mean that I can't research and build my knowledge base between rides, but if I find something in a guide and think "oh, so that's what that was!" I cannot count it unless I see another specimen on a later ride. Here's an example in practice of one I did count: I knew that a flower I was seeing was called fleabane, and I noticed that some patches were very pink and others almost pure white. When I got home, I discovered that "common fleabane" and "daisy fleabane" are separate but related species. This I consider refining. If, however, I thought "oh, that thing looks like daisies but isn't...I wonder what it is," and then looked it up, that would be right out.

Rule #4: Humans, dogs, cats, horses, cows, goats, sheep, chickens, and any other domesticated animals do not count. I specify those eight because I have seen all of these on one ride or another...but this rule extends to iguanas, ferrets, spider monkeys (you get the idea). Plants in planters or obviously landscaped (private) gardens do not count; however, plants in a park or other public space which were obviously planted by humans do count. I may regret this rule if I come up eight or fewer species short of either goal, but identifying pets and livestock isn't really in the spirit of what I'm trying to do.

Rule #5: No, there will be no draft. This rule simply states that any specimen that can be seen from my apartment, place of employment, or other frequented locale are not fair game. This is to prevent pseudo-accidental cheating, in which I ride past the white ash trees in my apartment complex and pretend I really could tell in passing that that's what they are. The species as a whole are not excluded from the game, but I must find a specimen elsewhere, and ID it from the bicycle, in order for it to make the list.

I didn't cheat and count this deer - believe me, I've seen plenty.

The List

I will copy the list so far here. Before this morning's epiphany and formal self-challenge, it stood at twenty species.

This was not taken while biking, but does feature a couple of species listed below.

• Vulpes vulpes (red fox)
• Odocoileus virginianus (white-tailed deer)
• Ardea herodia (great blue heron)
• Sciurus carolinensis (eastern gray squirrel)
• Sylvilagus floridanus (eastern cottontail)
• Aquila chrysaetos (golden eagle)
• Turdus migratorius (American robin)
• Castor canadensis (North American beaver)
• Cardinalis cardinalis (northern cardinal)
• Mimus polyglottos (northern mockingbird)
• Phalacrocorax auritus (double-crested cormorant)
• Anas platyrhynchos (mallard)
• Procyon lotor (raccoon)
• Branta canadensis (Canada goose)
• Marmota monax (groundhog, woodchuck) added 4/30/11
• Spinus tristis (American goldfinch, eastern goldfinch) added 4/30/11
• Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion) added 4/30/11
• Didelphis virginiana (Virginia opossum) was deceased, so maybe it shouldn't count. added 4/30/11
• Podophyllum peltatum (mayapple)  added 4/30/11
• Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy) added 4/30/11

The continually updated list, from today until the end of the challenge, follows. Today was a heck of a day because I put so much thought into this.

Lamb's ear

• Zenaida macroura (mourning dove, rain dove, western turtle dove) added 5/3/11
• Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) added 5/3/11
• Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust, false acacia) added 5/3/11
• Pinus strobus (eastern white pine) added 5/3/11
• Cornus florida (flowering dogwood) added 5/3/11
• Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper) added 5/3/11
• Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore) added 5/3/11
• Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip poplar, yellow poplar, tuliptree) added 5/3/11
• Conopholis americana (bear corn, American cancer-root, squawroot) added 5/3/11
• Trifolium repens (white clover) added 5/3/11
• Typha latifolia (common cattail) added 5/3/11
• Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom) added 5/3/11
• Erigeron annuus (daisy fleabane) added 5/3/11
• Erigeron philadelphicus (common fleabane) added 5/3/11
• Liquidambar styraciflua (American sweetgum, redgum) added 5/5/11
• Picoides pubescens (downy woodpecker) added 5/5/11
• Juglans nigra (eastern black walnut) aded 5/5/11
• Sturnus vulgaris (European starling, common starling) added 5/5/11
• Quiscalus quiscula (common grackle) added 5/7/11
• Papilio glaucus (eastern tiger swallowtail) added 5/7/11
• Stachys byzantina (lamb's ear) added 5/7/11
• Chrysemis picta picta (eastern painted turtle) added 5/7/11
• Ulmus rubra (slippery elm) added 5/7/11
• Acer saccharinum (silver maple, white maple, water maple, etc) added 5/7/11
• Ondatra zibethicus (muskrat) added 5/7/11
• Ardea alba (great egret) added 5/7/11
• Cercis canadensis (eastern redbud) added 5/7/11
• Pieris rapae (cabbage white, small white [butterfly]) added 5/7/11
• Corvus brachyrhyncos (American crow) added 5/7/11
• Polyporus squamosus (dryad's saddle) added 5/10/11
• Glechoma hederacea (ground ivy) added 5/10/11
• Potentilla indica (mock strawberry, Indian strawbeery) added 5/12/11
• Ilex opaca (American holly) added 5/14/11
• Acer rubrum (red maple) added 5/14/11
• Acer palmatum (Japanese maple) added 5/14/11
• Coragyps atratus (black vulture) added 5/14/11
• Acer platanoides (Norway maple) added 5/14/11
• Trifolium pratense (red clover) added 5/14/11
• Cathartes aura (turkey vulture) added 5/14/11
• Coluber constrictor (black racer) another deceased specimen - but count it! added 5/14/11
• Trifolium dubium (least hops clover, yellow shamrock) added 5/14/11
• Silene latifolia (white campion) added 5/14/11
• Rumex acetosa (commen sorrel, garden sorrel) added 5/21/11
• Tamias striatus (eastern chipmunk) added 5/21/11
• Colias philodice (clouded sulfur, common sulfur) added 5/21/11
• Mephitis mephitis (striped skunk) one more deceased specimen - added 5/21/11

Goal 1 reached; 51 species as of May 10th! This is great news, as it gives me an opportunity to hopefully clear the mark by a wide margin. I'll feel a lot better about, say, 62, than 51. I want that cushion in the event of a mistake or two...I'm trying to be careful but I'm probably not above deceiving myself on one or two species.

My training partner, Dustin, and I pause for a photo 55 miles into our century ride.

With the added entries of 5/21/11, the date of part one of this challenge has come and passed. I have exceeded my goal by sixteen species, coming in at 66, which is a solid two-thirds of the way to my second goal. I will say that this is becoming increasingly difficult, as the number of species easily identified while riding dwindles with each new addition to the list. I will need to continue to brush up on my flowers and trees in the coming months if I am to identify 34 additional species this year.

It's time to break this thing up - that list above is getting to be a bit of an exercise for the scroll-wheel finger. There is not yet a ton to add, but as above it has to start somewhere. I'm starting to get a "bucket list" of species that I just can't believe I haven't picked out yet. Maybe that'll be the next challenge?

The train-wrecker mushroom, so named because it is wont to grow on railroad ties and weaken or destroy the wood.

 

• Iris pseudacorus (yellow flag) added 5/23/11
• Quercus alba (white oak) added 5/23/11
• Panaeolus foenisecii (mower's mushroom) added 5/23/11
• Coprinus comatus (shaggy mane mushroom) added 5/26/11
• Daucus carota (Queen Anne's lace) added 5/26/11
• Neolentinus lepideus (train wrecker) added 6/1/11
• Quiscalus major (boat-tailed grackle) added 6/1/11
• Morus alba (white mulberry) added week of 6/13/11
• Morus rubra (red mulberry) added week of 6/13/11
• Fraxinus americana (white ash) added week of 6/13/11
• Persicaria perfoliata (mile-a-minute) added week of 6/13/11
• Carya laciniosa (shellbark hickory) added week of 6/13/11
• Hedera helix (English ivy) added week of 6/13/11
• Alliara petiolata (garlic mustard) added week of 6/13/11
• Cichorium intybus (common chicory) added week of 6/13/11
• Cucumis sativus (cucumber) added 7/5/11
• Dumetella carolinensis (gray catbird) added 7/5/11
• Plantango lanceolata (English plantain) added 7/5/11
• Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) added 7/7/11
• Hybiscus syriacus (rose of Sharon, shrub althea, rose althea) added 7/7/11
• Agelaius phoeniceus (red-winged blackbird) added 7/8/11
• Columba livia (pigeon, rock dove, rock pigeon) added 7/10/11
• Salix babylonica* (weeping willow) added 7/10/11
• Sassafras albidum (sassafras, white sassafras, red sassafras, silky sassafras) added 7/10/11
• Phytolacca americana (American pokeweed) added 7/10/11
• Aesculus flava (yellow buckeye) added 7/10/11
• Persicaria maculosa (lady's thumb) added 7/10/11
• Hemerocallis fulva (daylily, tiger daylily, orange daylily) added 7/10/11
• Campsis radicans (trumpet creeper) added 7/10/11
• Sphecius speciosus (eastern cicada killer) added 7/10/11
• Albizia julibrissin (silktree, bastard tamarind, Lenkoran acacia) added 7/10/11
• Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo) added 7/15/11 
• Leucophaeus atricilla (laughing gull) added wk of 7/24/11
• Uniola paniculata (sea oats) added wk of 7/24/11
• Pelecanus occidentalis (brown pelican) added wk of 7/24/11
• Yucca filamentosa (yucca, Adam's needle) added wk of 7/24/11
• Ammophila breviligulata (American beachgrass) added wk of 7/24/11

*"weeping willow" is actually a cultivar of Salix babylonica and one of two other species. I didn't make a rule for handling cultivars, and I know what it is, so I'm counting it.
 
New species from most recent edit: 5
Running Total: 103
Animals: 40 (11 mammals, 23 birds, 4 insects, 2 reptiles)
Plants: 58
Fungi: 5

Time Warp: Watkins Regional Park in Fall of 2009

So, I was prepared to post about Watkins Regional Park last week when my new camera arrived; instead I cheated and posted about the new camera itself. That has worked to my advantage, as I ended up visiting Watkins yesterday, and took snapshots of some of the same things I photographed last time, about a year and a half ago.

I didn't really take any shots at the nature center last time out, so I'll start with the mushrooming this time. Yesterday's trip featured Polyporous squamosus (dryad's saddle), several LBMs, and some additional polypores. What was the Fall mushrooming like?

First, I found Amanita muscaria formosa, the "American" subspecies of the fly mushroom, or fly agaric. There is ongoing discussion about how to separate subspecies, and the nominate subspecies is red rather than yellow, but I am nonetheless very confident in my identification of this specimen. If you see this, please don't eat it.

No matter the season, polypores are gregarious. I rarely try to identify beyond "some polypore" unless I suspect it's something of particular interest.

This hen of the woods mushroom (Grifola frondosa) was enormous but too rotten to eat. The monster was around three feet across.

I thought these sulfur tufts (Naemotoloma fasciculare) were beautiful. They're now my excuse to introduce you to the concept of a synonym as the term is used in biology. It has a specific meaning in the field - a synonym is another binomial name which refers to the same species, usually because there are ongoing arguments as to how the species should be classified. My favorite mushroom site has this in genus Hypholoma.

Ah, food. These oyster mushrooms became one heck of a dinner when we got home. One of my first mycological feasts, in fact. I'll never get tired at looking at this set of photos.

Despite the boring appearance and lackluster picture, I was pumped when I found this fungus. I had hoped this belonged to the genus Termitomyces.  These unusual fungi grow only from termite mounds, and the genus includes the largest mushroom species in the world. They have a strange symbiotic relationship with the termites. Unbeknownst to me until later, the family of termites, and therefore the genus of mushrooms, is not found in this area.

So yeah, fungal life was abundant during both successful Watkins trips. I think the species I've discussed and shown provide a good survey of the way fruiting mushroom species vary with season.  Moving on, I want to share some photos of the beaver pond as we discovered it around 18 months ago. It almost looks like a different pond.

The pond. (Compare to yesterday's photo with the same caption, taken from a similar location)

Here's a shot of the beaver lodge when it seemed to still be in use (well, by beavers). Remember its current occupant?

This is the accompanying dam. Although I didn't shoot it yesterday, it was quite grown over as well. This again leads me to suspect that the beavers are making their current home elsewhere.

This time, instead of a decently-captured boring thing (a big empty field) I'll leave you with a cool but poorly photographed thing (this Araneus marmoreus, or marbled orb-weaver spider).

Today's Outing: Watkins Regional Park

I thought about titling this post "Today's Adventure" for my own nostalgic reasons. In any case, adventure it was for a lover of the outdoors. It was an overcast but rainless day that saw us hiking through Watkins Regional Park. This place seems underused to me - it's relatively small but has a lot to offer, both in terms of facilities and hiking trails (although, their trail map and blazing is suspect). Laurel and I have visited three times but never encountered many people. Prince George's County has some negative associations for a lot of area residents, but this place is a true gem. The Nature Center is filled with rescue animals including hawks, owls, and turtles. They also host non-native species - which might be confusing to youngsters. Among their various terraria are a ball python, an emperor scorpion, Madagascar hissing cockroaches, and other exotics. In another part of the park they keep peafowl (yes, that's the word - 'cock' and 'hen' are sex specific, after all). Two of our three trips to this park have been wonderful; the third was unfortunately cut short by unexpected and intense rain. Today was something of a makeup trip for our previous, aborted hike.

Laurel checks out some of the park's rescue birds, located behind the nature center. These enclosures house a turkey vulture, a black vulture, a barred owl, and a pair of red-tailed hawks. Inside were several additional birds of prey native to the region.

Also behind the nature center is this frog pond, which held my attention for a solid ten minutes at least. If you've got a good eye, you'll be able to spot three frogs in this shot. I believe most, if not all, frogs in this pond are green frogs (Lithobates clamitans).

Why depart from a good theme? Also behind the nature center are several birdfeeders. I was able to grab a snapshot of this American goldfinch (Spinus tristis) but the downy woodpecker and white-breasted nuthatch on the neighboring feeder were too quick for me.

My last photo from "behind the nature center," I promise. A closer picture of the frog in question. I am basing my identification as a green frog on the presence, and relative straightness, of a dorsolateral fold.

To move on from all this nature center talk, I'll discuss the day's mushrooming. I didn't bring home anything for the table, but I did see several LBMs (little brown mushroom - I didn't just make this one up), a number of sizable Dryad's saddles, and your typical assortment of polypores. One of these I brought home to identify, but I'm not there yet.

Here are a few of those LBMs I mentioned. There were quite a few of these nestled among the moss, but they were very easy to overlook. Once Laurel pointed the first out, they seemed to rise up out of the ground and sing all around us.

Dryad's saddle is such a photogenic mushroom. Unfortunately, the taste is a bit odd to me, and once they are large enough to be showy the taste is reportedly not very good even to those who generally like it.

I had to push through vines and ford a small stream for this photo, but I think it was worth it. It was my first legitimate tromp through the woods of the year.

I don't know precisely what these polypores are, but I thought they made for a quaint photograph. This tree was just between the park and a private backyard.

There's also a secluded beaver pond on the property. While we didn't spot the craftsmen themselves, evidence of their presence was abundant. I noted the growth atop the lodge we had seen in the fall of 2009, along with a surprise (more on that below). I think the beavers may have moved on to another part of the pond. Their work was still pretty neat to observe.

The pond

The beaver lodge - complete with nesting Canada goose! That's her about bottom center. I have to believe this lodge has been abandoned by the beavers, because I don't see mother goose here as comfortable sharing with a fairly large mammal with enormous teeth.

Here's a better shot of our dedicated mother. Camera zoom did much better than our naked eyes.

I will leave you with this landscape of one of the park's big empty fields. I hope you have enjoyed your vicarious trip to Watkins Regional Park. I can't promise not to drag you there again soon.

Species Feature #3, Eastern Box Turtle

There's just something cool about an animal with a door for its head, isn't there? I present the Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina, also sometimes called the common box turtle). Often in the world of turtles and tortoises it is subtle differences in the markings that make identifying to species possible; however, these turtles have widely varying markings and are best identified by their hinged shell. This alone will take care of the ID for you in the Mid-Atlantic...if it can close its shell all the way you have a common box turtle. Another subspecies is endemic to Florida, one to the Gulf Coast, and yet another just west of the nominate subspecies; the ornate box turtle can be found out West.

I might have propped this fella (I'm fairly sure it's a fella because the underside of the shell - called the plastron - is curved) onto the log for this pose. However, I returned him to his original location...turtles are apparently easily disoriented and moving them is a no-no unless you're helping them out of the road.

 Terrapene carolina carolina Quick Facts

Common Name(s): Eastern box turtle, common box turtle (this second name is to distinguish from other subspecies of T. carolina.)

Taxonomic Breakdown:

• Kingdom - Animalia
• Phylum - Chordata
• Class - Reptilia
• Order - Testudines
• Family - Emydidae
• Genus - Terrapene
• Species - carolina
• Subspecies - carolina

Conservation Status: Near Threatened

Range: Massachusetts to Georgia, and West to Illinois and Tenessee

Check out the m-shaped (or e-shaped, depending on your POV) markings on the shell.

I was always particularly fascinated by these creatures as a child. I think I was captivated by the mystery of what's inside the shell more than anything. It's also nifty that despite their vast differences from mammals, in their dietary habits they are much like us - that is to say, opportunistic and omnivorous.

I think looking closely at the indentation confirms sex, but I don't want to be too confident because sexing turtles and tortoises is notoriously difficult.

This individual was a little less shy at first, allowing us a glimpse of its beak and clawed feet.

However, a confused and agitated Franklin took care of that in short order.

Before I let you go, I want to make note that I will be continually updating my post "Naturalism on Speed" with each new species I am able to identify while biking. If such things interest you at all, you can check in any time. I'm including a date with each newly added species so you can tell at a glance if anything is new to you.

Arbor Day

I hope you're enjoying your Arbor Day, readers! I have to say that someone at Earth Day should have thought about the timing when they established their observance...these two events are so close together as to limit their effectiveness. Arbor Day was here first. Who am I to complain, though? It makes my 'job' as a nature blogger pretty easy. I hope these photos, some from the National Arboretum and others from around the region, can capture the essence of tree.

This magnolia bloom was found in one of my favorite parts of the Arboretum.

Another magnolia was home to this slick little creature. This, of course, only scratches the surface of trees as habitat.

Of course, the Arboretum is home to much more than just trees. Look at the pollination on THAT!

If these photos hardly do justice to the "arbor" part of National Arboretum, neither does the Welcome Center.

I'll get started now on just identifying some common local trees beyond just "oak" and "maple." This is a white ash, Fraxinus americana. This isn't the best picture to ID from, but the distinctive bark is the key.

 

This is a black locust, Robinia pseudoacacia. It is easy to distinguish from its relative, the honey locust, because the honey is possessed of long, sharp spines.

Ah, the American sycamore. I showed a close-up of the bark in yesterday's post. That look in combination with this large and unique leaf make this an easy tree to ID, even for beginners.

And of course, nothing beats the sassafras for easy identification, provided it is leaved. This is actually three species of tree in the genus Sassafras, although Sassafras albidum (variously called white sassafras, red sassafras, and silky sassafras) is the only one native here.

Well, that's all for today...if you haven't yet, get out there and appreciate those trees!

New Old Camera!

This is a little bit of a cheating post. I do have a mushroom to share, but I don't yet know what it is. I'm cheating because my new camera arrived today. It's the same model I'd been using, so I won't be able to snap the kind of insect and other small being photos I dream of, but at least I will have current photos to choose from here. I paused along Beach Drive on the way home from work today - I needed a mushrooming fix, and I have heard tell that morels are out in force (though I may have missed the window).

This afternoon I encountered several RAPs (Random Anonymous Polypores) and several specimens of THAT mushroom. "THAT" mushroom is one that I have been encountering since I began the hobby...it appears early in the season and lasts for several months. It has absolutely generic features, and it completely defies identification. I also found the interesting Boletinoid mushroom I will show below (which eerily resembles THAT mushroom except that it has pores instead of gills).

Enjoy this obligatory new-camera closeup of Franklin. "Lookit that punum" says the stereotypical zany aunt.

The underside of the mushroom I brought home. It has white pores which run down the stem, and it grows from rotting wood.

It has a mottled brown cap, and its patterning is reminiscent of dryad's saddle...though this is certainly not the usual form one would expect of that particular fungus.

It has white flesh which does not stain upon bruising upon exposure. There is also an indentation at the center of the cap, the term for which escapes me. It's called an "umbo" if it's convex instead of concave...

There is no annulus present, and it seems to have no veils either. I now need to wait for a spore print and consult my guides. If I ID this thing, I will update.

This is one of the first photos I took with the new camera. I didn't know what I was doing with all the settings, so it came out in this odd aspect ratio because of my zoom.  In any case, the photo is meant to display the distinctive marbled, flaky bark of the American sycamore. There wasn't a whole lot going on this evening around my apartment, so I had to look to the trees. Fitting, I suppose, since tomorrow is Arbor Day.

Well, like I said, this is a bit of a cheat. G'night folks!