Neat rows of chipped bite marks ??

[Murboti]

Any idea what causes rows of bite marks on bark like this? 

 

My mother (in Silver Spring MD) sent me these pics yesterday. She lives in a neighborhood 2 blocks from a 6-lane highway, but as secluded as possible for that location with plenty of trees and a few acres of public woodland. She's been there for 35-years, and this is a first.

 

Thanks,

[manco]

looks to me like somethings been nibbling on the bark.

 

[GarethM]

Seeing as you're calling it a 6 lane highway, I'll assume it's America, me thinks grey squirrels.

[Paul in the woods]

I think they are in Maryland, US. The marks don't look like deer or squirrel damage I've seen in the UK but I've no idea what damage they do over in the US, or things like bears or porcupines etc. So it might be worth asking on a more local group.

 

A bit of a google suggests it could be a bird, a yellow bellied sap sucker or similar?

Edited December 17, 2023 by Paul in the woods

[Murboti]

On 17/12/2023 at 11:38, Paul in the woods said:

I think they are in Maryland, US. The marks don't look like deer or squirrel damage I've seen in the UK but I've no idea what damage they do over in the US, or things like bears or porcupines etc. So it might be worth asking on a more local group.

 

A bit of a google suggests it could be a bird, a yellow bellied sap sucker or similar?

LOL - Yes, in the States. Not sure why... I typed and deleted "USA" from my OP. 

 

Thanks for the suggestions !!

I'm familiar with the yellow belly tree holes/rows. Definitely not what's going on here unless there's a rouge one trying new things. 🙂 

 

I thought squirrel at first too, but the symmetry has me baffled. Looks like shallow tiny beaver tooth scoops the way the wood was chipped out. Like they practiced\tested on other branches not really searching for something, but more like they're collecting the wood chips for a nest maybe. 

We get racoons, foxes, moles, chipmunks and a huge variety of small\med birds etc., and beavers could show up in the river 1.5km's away, but we've never seen them, and these are higher on branches that too weak to hold a beaver's weight and we're up a few hills from that water.

 

We're so curious !! 

 

Thanks again for any idears !!

[Paul in the woods]

Hornet?