What is this???

[Big E]

While out with "Deadeye" and "Dakids" morel hunting we came across this. The pictures don't do it much justice as they were taken with my phone but it was bright orange and looked like spray paint almost but it definently wasn't. This is on a birch tree and it seemed that it was coming out of holes from a woodpecker. Anyone know what this is?

[HD]

Nope, I don't...never seen that before.

Weird.... 

[MTCOMMER]

That is really weird.  I would think it would be the tree sap coming out of the holes the woodpeckers has made, but I didnt know birch trees had alot of sap - to be totally honest I really dont know what sap really is or its purpose, hahah!  But I would say that is probably what it is....

There is also Bronze Birch Borer (which is a long shot), but they will burrow into the tree and cause the same type of things.   

[Big E]

It could be the bronze birch borer because there was a lot of hole around it. The tree was alive but from the condition it was in it wouldn't be for too much longer. I have no idea what a birch borer is but I'm not ruling anything out

[dakids]

Could the woodpecker holes be from the birds trying to get the birch borer?

[Go Big Red!]

Send the photos to the U of M agriculture/forestry dept and see if they can figure it out.