Bear Swamp, Cumberland County

whippoorbill

whippoorbill

Explorer
Jul 29, 2003
675
121
65
Bridgeton
Bear Swamp redux

There are a lot of photos below. Also, I've linked them from Photobucket, so they're larger than normal. Still, believe it or not, these total less than a third taken this morning in Cumberland County's Bear Swamp. Since the photos are so many, I'll keep the words few.

We were in the swamp by nine this morning, and out by noon. It seemed like a lot longer than that; a perfect eternity.

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Thanks for looking,

Bill

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james ungehajer

james ungehajer

Piney
Oct 25, 2006
1,757
1
73
Real nice photos Bill, on the 3rd and fourth pics from the bottom, what is that bulbous growth around the tree ?

Jim
 
manumuskin

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,555
2,470
59
millville nj
www.youtube.com
Billy didn't tell the whole story. On the way back across the swampy area shown near the bottom we were mozying slowly along through knee deep water when all the sudden Billy fetched up short and bent over double and let out a piteous groan and about that time something large,dark and very flat rose up out of the murky water and enveloped him and pulled him under.I let out a scream of terror.My best buddy in all the earth was just snatched by a nasty varve! he was taken under immediately and fossilized on the spot by a half inch layer of stinky brown ooze and smashed flat to be dug up aeons later by some nitwit from the future who will take him for a homonid or was that hominid? ancestor.
I stood shaking in fear his camera floating toward me on the ripples.All that was left of the infamous Darwinist I called friend.I collapsed against the swollen base of a black gum and slid down into the water which would later camouflage the fact I had pissed myself.I was sobbing uncontrollaby when all the sudden I heard this ominous blast and I looked up to see Billy laying sprawled out across a rotten log.I ran over and shook him and when he came to he said wow! Dying is so cool! He proceeded to say that he had went o what had to be darwinian heaven.He had ran into ancestors there from ages past.He met an uncle who had long orange hair and his name was Clyde.He could peel bananas with his feet.Then he met a dark little fellow who claimed to be a cousin named Cheetah who was quite adept and pulling his socks up without bending over.He claimed he even met his Aunt Luci from Rift Valley ave. Then suddenly he was hit with another severe stomach pain and as the gas welled up he realized embarrasing as it wwould be with all the company he would have to let one rip.He was hemmed up and in great pain when suddenly Mighty Joe Young ran over and gave him a mighty tug on his finger and out she came.Sounded like a thunder clap from above and the next thing he remembered was me shaking him and crying like a baby.Apparently the gas buildup split the varve and cracked it in half and reinflated him.I knew no half inch thick layer of scum could fossilize a critter that big. Well anyone wanting to follow in our footsteps watch them varves.The only way to escape them apparently is through the process of Liquefartion.
Alfie
 
Teegate

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,656
8,266
There are some nice tree's there. Great photo's Bill!

Guy
 
whippoorbill

whippoorbill

Explorer
Jul 29, 2003
675
121
65
Bridgeton
manumuskin

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,555
2,470
59
millville nj
www.youtube.com
I not only guarantee we'll find our way back out of the swamp but I will have my brand new super duster varve buster.Guaronteeeed to zap varves so they will no longer be able to fossilize again.I think the varve picked on Bill because he is already half fossilized anyway,after all he is from the 50's but my varve buster will protect young and old alike.So for 14.95 the bear swamp is yours to explore.It's an extra .50 cents for a view of the stone but to Guy it's a freebie.
Alfie
 
Teegate

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,656
8,266
manumuskin said:
It's an extra .50 cents for a view of the stone but to Guy it's a freebie.
Alfie
Click to expand...

I would be more than willing to fork up the .50. But if you insist I will keep my money in my pocket :)

Guy
 
whippoorbill

whippoorbill

Explorer
Jul 29, 2003
675
121
65
Bridgeton
james ungehajer said:
... on the 3rd and fourth pics from the bottom, what is that bulbous growth around the tree ?

Jim
Click to expand...

Hi Jim,

Just flicking back over the thread here and saw your unanswered question. Sorry I didn't respond to this before; mid to late week is a busy time for me.

Here's another photo of the growth you mentioned.

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We came across this during the final leg of the trip on Tuesday. The "gall" (or canker?; the images I've seen suggest the former, though) is on a holly tree, as you can see. Funny thing, this tree inspired some research on galls and I haven't come across any information regarding these on holly trees; it seems they are common on oak trees.
I've read that galls are caused by nesting wasps. Cankers, on the other hand, are often caused by fungi. But I'm no tree expert ... and welcome further insight here.

I also searched for similar images online (of a holly tree with a similar growth), with no success ... so maybe what happened to this tree is rare? Ah, I doubt it. Regardless, the holly warrants a return visit ... it's quite spectacular (as is the entire swamp). Al, did you create a way point at the holly's location?

Hope that helps, Jim. Thanks for the compliments on the photos.
 
Spung-Man

Spung-Man

Explorer
Jan 5, 2009
978
666
64
Richland, NJ
loki.stockton.edu
suitable music

whippoorbill said:
I'm no tree expert ... and welcome further insight here.
Click to expand...

Burls are found on many tree species including hollies and are often poorly understood. Bacteria, Fungi, and insects are the usual suspects but most cases remain enigmatic. Years back the stock response was to invoke Crown Gall (Agrobacterium tumefaciens) for various plant tumors just to sound authoritative. Who’d argue? I bet I was even right on a few occasions. FYI – Burls are woody and bowl shaped, Galls and tumors may or may not be woody, and include swellings of all shapes and sizes.

Now “witches brooms,” clumps of stunted growth on tree branches, are much easier to explain. Those are places where Peggy Clevenger landed during evening forays into the Pines.

Exotic location. I'll be sure to play suitably somber music the next time you go out while the rest of us anxiously await your safe return!

Spung-Man
 
manumuskin

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,555
2,470
59
millville nj
www.youtube.com
whippoorbill said:
Hi Jim,

Just flicking back over the thread here and saw your unanswered question. Sorry I didn't respond to this before; mid to late week is a busy time for me.

Here's another photo of the growth you mentioned.

zal.jpg


We came across this during the final leg of the trip on Tuesday. The "gall" (or canker?; the images I've seen suggest the former, though) is on a holly tree, as you can see. Funny thing, this tree inspired some research on galls and I haven't come across any information regarding these on holly trees; it seems they are common on oak trees.
I've read that galls are caused by nesting wasps. Cankers, on the other hand, are often caused by fungi. But I'm no tree expert ... and welcome further insight here.

I also searched for similar images online (of a holly tree with a similar growth), with no success ... so maybe what happened to this tree is rare? Ah, I doubt it. Regardless, the holly warrants a return visit ... it's quite spectacular (as is the entire swamp). Al, did you create a way point at the holly's location?

Hope that helps, Jim. Thanks for the compliments on the photos.
Click to expand...



no whip i didn't gps it but as always I am like a wood tick on a hound dogs ass when it comes to refinding a spot.Tha gall was right along the edge of the swamp about 200 yards west of the main trail in.should be no problem.It was alos on the end of a peninsula sticking out into the swamp.I could about give you coords from looking at the aerial.
Alfie
 
whippoorbill

whippoorbill

Explorer
Jul 29, 2003
675
121
65
Bridgeton
Thanks, Alfie. I bet I could find the holly on my own. I keep forgetting I had a GPS running in my pocket on Tuesday. All it would take is to follow our track, backwards, right? :) (I might raise my swamp tour-guide fee to eight bucks!)

Spung-Man said:
Burls are found on many tree species including hollies and are often poorly understood. Bacteria, Fungi, and insects are the usual suspects but most cases remain enigmatic. Years back the stock response was to invoke Crown Gall (Agrobacterium tumefaciens) for various plant tumors just to sound authoritative. Who’d argue? I bet I was even right on a few occasions. FYI – Burls are woody and bowl shaped, Galls and tumors may or may not be woody, and include swellings of all shapes and sizes.

Now “witches brooms,” clumps of stunted growth on tree branches, are much easier to explain. Those are places where Peggy Clevenger landed during evening forays into the Pines.

Exotic location. I'll be sure to play suitably somber music the next time you go out while the rest of us anxiously await your safe return!

Spung-Man
Click to expand...

Thanks, Spung-Man ... for the burl info, for your witches-broom revelation (LOL!), and for the well-wishes in regard to a safe return next time out. The swamp could be revisited as soon as tomorrow afternoon, so cue up that turntable!

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Whip
 
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