bird peck poplar?

[tyb525]

I was gluing up some tulip poplar panels, and when sorting through all my poplar I cut back in March, I remembered that one tree was full of this figure. I have maybe 250+ bd ft of it, with boards from 14" down to 5". This figure is throughout the sap and heart.

What I want to know is if this is worth any more than plain, clear tulip poplar, or if it just looks nice?
Does this have a name? I could only think of bird peck.
Also they did not chip out at all while planing or cutting.

Wetted down with mineral spirits.


Board next to it was from a different tree without the figure.


Close up of last picture.



Thank you for your thoughts

[Kansas]

We don't have poplar here, but that definitely looks figured. We always pull out good figure and sell it at a premium. I would isolate it and mark it up.

[tyb525]

I think it might be "bird peck" as there were "rings" of holes in the bark around the trunk, spaced almost perfectly a couple inches apart, going all the way up the tree.

There was no rot, and I don't think those are knots by any means. I can picture a woodpecker pecking holes around the trunk, then moving up a couple inches, and repeating all the up the tree.

[Dodgy Loner]

Very cool, Ty! I would definitely think you could sell boards like that for a premium, especially on a site like eBay where you could have lots of buyers look at it. Bird peck seems like a suitable name for that figure. It does sound like it was caused by woodpeckers.

[Sprucegum]

We have little birds called "sapsuckers" that peck series of holes in the bark like you described. I never thought of looking for such figuring in the wood! But then polpar doesn't get much respect around here  :-\  You bet I will be looking 

[TheWoodsman]

Try the Buy and Sell section over at www.woodnet.net  There are lots of wood butchers that might be interested.

[HOOF-ER]

Ty you are correct that is the work of a yellow bellied sapsucker
I have my eye on a tree that is exactly like yours. It also is a tulip poplar.
Amazing what nature can produce. I was wondering what the lumber would look like. Thanks for look, now I can only hope to get ahold of that tree someday!