This week’s Monday Monochrome is this image of the trunk of a mature Red Cedar tree sprouting fresh growth. The Eastern Red Cedar is not a “true” Cedar; it’s actually a member of the Juniper family (Juniperus virginiana).
Juniper trees (and bushes) produce juniper berries. According to Wikimedia: “Cedar waxwings are fond of juniper berries. It takes about 12 minutes for their seeds to pass through the birds’ guts, and seeds that have been consumed by this bird have levels of germination roughly three times higher than those of seeds the birds did not eat. Many other birds such as turkeys and bluebirds, along with many mammals such as rabbits, foxes, raccoons, and coyotes also consume them.”
After I prepped this photo, I discovered a bug of some kind. Can you find it? (I’m helping with the enlarged detail to the left (Easy challenge).) Double bonus points if you can identify it.
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