Is my pine tree sick?

[Slick]

I've got a good size pine tree, not sure what kind exactly, in my front yard that the birds love...but it's not looking so good this spring. We noticed a bunch of branches look dry and dying, it used to look for full and green, it looks like it's thinning out a bit. I also noticed some greenish goo leaking from the trunk at various places. Is my tree dying? Anything I can do to save this tree if so?
Thanks,

 

[Urban Forester]

It could be quite a few things. A picture of the root flare would help. From the photos, it appears as if there may be some spruce mite activity, but this pest will not create that level of decline that quickly. Cytospora Canker is also a possibilty. I notice that the tree has been limbed up, at least once. Was it because those lower limbs had died? Was last year drier than normal?

 

[Slick]

It could be quite a few things. A picture of the root flare would help. From the photos, it appears as if there may be some spruce mite activity, but this pest will not create that level of decline that quickly. Cytospora Canker is also a possibilty. I notice that the tree has been limbed up, at least once. Was it because those lower limbs had died? Was last year drier than normal?

Thanks for the reply. It was limbed up when I bought the place years ago...being a younger new home owner I just went to cutting to clean it up (now days I would have asked around more). It was huge and crazy looking with lots of vines attacking the tree but I don't remember alot of dead branches. After that the vines kept trying to come back but the tree itself looks nice up top, green and healthy to me at least.
Yes last year was very hot and dry, this spring on the other hand has been very wet.
The roots are pretty much covered up with mulch, I can strip some back to see the root flare if it helps.

 

[Slick]

Crap I just googled Cytospora Canker...it does remind me of what's going on with that tree, I see now why you asked if it was dry last year...it seems to come out after a drought and it was hot and dry last year...that's not good.

How long till this guy is all brown and dead?