How low can it go before it falls?

First, a throw back to two years ago… changing water levels in the pond worked to carve out the earth under the roots. Alligator action might have played a role, too.

The smaller branches long gone, some kind of vegetation hid the base over this past summer.

At the beginning of October:

A couple of weeks later that cavity beneath the tree had collapsed.

I’m hoping the tree will stay around even after it collapses  to serve as a perch for the wading and water birds.

Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC