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Friday, March 25, 2011

Friday Field Photo - what is it??

We spent the day down by Gateway, Colorado, prospecting and looking at various tracks in the Chinle and Wingate Formations. While looking at a huge track slab I happened to see something weird hanging from a tree branch. I took these two photo of it (horrible lighting, apologies). Unfortunately we forgot the good camera at home, the ok camera at the hotel, and were only left with my cell phone, so that is what I used. Since it was so cool and not something I had ever seen, I thought I would share it and see if anyone else could guess what it is.



Any guesses?!?!? :-)
[edit: check out the comments...]

© ReBecca K. Hunt-Foster
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15 comments:

  1. LockwoodMarch 25, 2011 at 11:51 PM

    It looks like it might be a bee hive in the early stages of construction?

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  2. BJ NichollsMarch 25, 2011 at 11:53 PM

    I don't know but it's cool. My guesses would be an unusual wasp nest or the nest of a bird that secretes urethane foam.

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  3. ReBecca Hunt-FosterMarch 26, 2011 at 12:00 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. ReBecca Hunt-FosterMarch 26, 2011 at 12:00 AM

    There were no bees to be seen. I think it may have been a paper wasp(?) nest that has decayed over the winter, leaving the comb behind.(?)

    Pretty crazy!! We were at this same site in July and I walked right under that tree and do not remember seeing a thing. I am allergic to bees so I usually notice them. I had never seen something like this so I had to share it :)

    (check out the pictures on this site: http://www.azwns.com/Bee_removal_control_phoenix_az.htm and here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Honeycomb_on_tree.jpg)

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  5. ElizabethMarch 26, 2011 at 12:08 AM

    I think I'd go for either an aborted bee hive or some form of shelf fungus... but it really does look like a hive that was started, and then abandoned... An open tree isn't the best spot after all.

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  6. ReBecca Hunt-FosterMarch 26, 2011 at 12:11 AM

    I just checked my pictures from this summer to see if it was in the pictures, but you can not tell. The trees were pretty leafy.

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  7. Stu PondMarch 26, 2011 at 2:57 AM

    I'll plumb for wasp's nest.

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  8. taicharaMarch 26, 2011 at 5:11 AM

    I'm going for bee hive. Fairly certain I've seen other similar images of hives ...

    .. now I'm going to wind up looking around for them *grin*

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  9. NeilMarch 26, 2011 at 12:27 PM

    Definitely an abandoned honeybee hive, can't think of any other North American hymenoptera that would make a nest like that.

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  10. James RobinsMarch 26, 2011 at 4:33 PM

    In England we'd call it a Bracket Fungus. Sorry no Latin here...

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  11. ReBecca Hunt-FosterMarch 26, 2011 at 7:00 PM

    Thanks for all the comments! Glad everyone seems to have thought the picture was a neat as I did.

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  12. Dicing with DragonsMarch 27, 2011 at 3:00 PM

    That is darn weird. Beehive, but that's just a guess on my part.

    Weird. And therefore cool.

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  13. Donald ProtheroApril 9, 2011 at 9:51 AM

    I think it's a bracket fungus, too. Look it up--they have that same structure, grow suddenly from the side of a branch or trunk, and can form a LOT of shapes.

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  14. AnonymousApril 21, 2011 at 5:08 AM

    Nah...!

    You all have it wrong, a camper down that way just didn't like his omelet and decided to dispose of it in a tree so his wife, who cooked it, wouldn't notice. :)


    Paul W.

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  15. ReBecca Hunt-FosterApril 21, 2011 at 10:49 PM

    LOL Paul

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