Sap Lick

A lot of small-scale drama on this venerable willow oak. I first noticed the Bald-faced Hornets at two different spots on the trunk.

At this spot, they were actually going underneath the bark. I suspect they were after leaking sap. But it wasn’t just wasps.

There were also flies, all rather smaller than the wasps. But just as interested in the tree’s juices. This was a classic case of noticing something, the big, bold white-highlighted black wasps, and then seeing a lot more.