Australian Tree Trunk Photo No. 4, "Gulls and Sea Shore"

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I always find the trunks of eucalyptus trees interesting. I decided to photograph a few of them up close as abstracts. This is the fourth in the series, which now contains six photographs.The others can be found at:  1  2  3  5  6

This tree is a mountain ash, one of about 800 different species within the genus Eucalyptus that are found in Australia. This photograph was captured in a vertical format and then turned on its side to resemble a landscape painting. Bark falling away from the trunk is seen at the bottom of the photograph, forming the "sea shore", and divots in the off-white newer bark form the "gulls". I first thought the divots were made by birds but later realized they were made by the claws of koalas climbing the tree.

The bark of all eucalyptus trees dies each year and eventually falls away. In smooth bark types the bark comes off in flakes, curls, or long strips, as is the case here. In rough bark types it accumulates in entwined, stringy masses.