The 'scribbles' on the bark of this Australian tree are made by the larvae of tiny moths, which burrow under the bark to feed. Scribbly-gum trees shed their old bark each year, and when they do so the trails of the larvae can be seen as ‘scribbles’ on the new bark. On Jan 9 last year’s bark is more or less intact (photo 1). On Jan 17 last year’s bark is starting to peel away, scribbles and all (2). On Jan 23 last year’s bark continues to peel away, and one can see more of the yellow new bark (3). On Feb 14 most of last year’s bark has gone and the new bark has already faded a bit (4).
I am a recently retired Australian Philosophy Lecturer, now transitioning to working (less formally) as a nature photographer. I take photos mostly of nature in my area, the Illawarra, south of Sydney in Australia. There's an incredible variety of ecosystems in this area – from subtropical rainforests to heaths, for example, from coastal zones to upland swamps – so there is always lots to photograph. Many of these ecosystems are under threat, though, so I hope that my photographs can play a role in their preservation.
