ScottF

How do you get a fat bird into bed? Piece of cake.

Is that specially insulated scaffolding for utility work? All joking aside, that's just about the scariest thing I've ever seen, Ed.

I'm with you guys. Cracking shot

The brackets were described as peachy and fuzzy by the person who took the pictures, not by me. You're right, though, in terms of their shapes the two can look really similar when they're young (excellent pics, by the way). I agree, the colours in pics (particularly digital ones which have been reduced in size etc) isn't the most reliable way to spot things. If Rupe has the time, maybe he can keep an eye on these brackets and see how they develop into more readily ID-able mature forms? I'm sure it's far more likely that the pics are I. dryadeus, but it's always good not to jump to conclusions- trees have a way of disproving assumptions. Which is great.

But I. dryadeus isn't "peachy" or reddish-brown when young. I. dryadeus is pallid grey becoming brown when it's new, and always smooth. I reckon the colour of an exudate isn't the best way to spot a fungus since it can react with and/or get digested by something as soon as it hits the air and, as a result, change colour.

Could be a young one. Cut it and see if some resin dribbles out and goes hard quickly. If I remember right (haven't seen one for a while), it's a fairly lively coloniser. Looks very nice to me...

I don't know, these look so much like young I. hispidus brackets to me- they really have that disctinctive, velvety look that I. dryadeus just doesn't have. All the fungi books say that I. hispidus can occur "on other broadleaves" as well as ash, but I can't say that I've seen it on native oak. That said, does anyone think that it's it possible that Q. cerris is just feeble enough to get it? Anyone have experience of I. hispidus on one of these elusive "other broadleaves"?

Not enough storage here. Whenever I learn something lately, some old stuff falls out.

Fuligo septica? I'm pretty sure this whole order is saproxylic. Either that or expanding foam...

That Landy rocked! Many hot meal cooked on the tailgate up the top of some flippin' mountain. Happy days.

All kidding aside, I'd say there's something to this. When you use a resistograph or similar you get an admittedly small volume of material out that you can interpret. Sometimes having this dust to examine helps support or amend your interpretation of what the device's primary output is telling you. No device is entirely objective- the user still has to make a judgement cased on the sum of the evidence, including, as CB pointed out earlier in this thread, thorough VTA.

post pub posting. Always best avoided. Like texting in that respect. Yep, I've seen plenty of A. indica + vars with bleeding canker. That coupled with the horrendous canker it gets here anyway makes for a bit of an ugly duckling. Don't know about A. x carnea 'Briotii' though. It's a stronger grower, generally, and I can't remember seeing one affected. Then there's all the buckeyes which could pass at a glance, I guess. Might need looking into...

Yes, I've read that Pseudonmonas syringae pv. aesculi is pretty much endemic in India, but that could be a function of lots of "development" foresters working out there spotting it. I've been trying to find some refs on % mortality in India but haven't found anything yet. I've seen plenty of A. indica and vars. suffering with B canker over here, though. Chinese chestnut? Is that Castanea mollisima?

Thanks! Yes, wise beyond her years. She looked like that when she was a pup. Hairy lurchers have away of looking thoughtful like that...

Arbdog Sylvie, as requested

Is it coming from the inside or the necrotic bark around the hole? If from the bark, then I'd guess it might be Bulgaria inquinans? Otherwise, I guess a Phytopthera. Looks a bit thick to be simply miscellaneous tree interior goo, but mighty nasty either way.

Had to deal with this issue in a fair bit of depth during a public inquiry a couple of years ago. The Alice Holt research at the time noted that the disease is vascular in nature (rather than involving root decay) and more than 50% of the trees monitored recovered. I would imagine most would have been disfigured in some way, though, with some dropping much crown. I've been through my reports and I've looked at over 300 of them, but very few have died directly from the disease. I say directly because I reckon the stress caused can allow ingress of other things, which has killed some of that cohort. They also used to reckon that the disease was cause by a number of Phytopthera fungi (P. citricola and P. cactorum) but there a growing body of evidence to suggest that it might be caused by a syndrome of bacterial agents. Basically, we don't know! I think it's worth thinking about whether the disfigurement (and admittedly branch drop) of the tree is enough to warrant it's removal if it recovers. It's worth keeping an open mind re mortality as we could do without a horse chestnut holocaust. Anyone out there know of any resistant chestnut varieties (or other Hippocastanaceae)? I'm not a huge fan of HCs per se, but somethimes they have a historical association that just makes them appropriate.

Hi Guys. Thanks for the welcome. 'ppreciate it.

I lived in Canada for 15 years and I'm now wondering why I came back. If it's not the weather it's our fearless leaders (sigh). How's the industry over your way at the moment? Have saw, will travel.

Hi all. I'm a hands-on arb consultant (if that isn't a contradiction in terms) looking for work producing AISs, condition surveys, method statements etc for busy contractors. I'm qualified to postgraduate level but I'm familiar with the noise a chainsaw makes. I can also produce replacement planting plans and supply and plant the trees (up to 7m+) if needed, below ground anchoring etc. I'm north wales-based but will travel to the North west, midlands as the work dictates. New member, enjoying the banter. Scott