February 22, 2008
For the Birds
Recently, a friend of the family was helping me prune limbs out of some oaks and other trees on our six-acre lot. Let’s be honest. He was cutting down the branches that I pointed out. My husband thinks it’s safer if I don’t operate gas operated tools.
He noted that we had a broken off, rotting pine tree in the back corner of the yard and offered to cut it down for me. I think he was really surprised when I told him, ”Thanks but no thanks!”
That tree which was broken in 1995 during Hurricane Opal has attracted many of my favorite birds over the years. I have seen brown headed nuthatches nest there as well as downy and hairy woodpeckers. One summer, a pileated woodpecker peeled off huge chunks of bark off that old pine. It’s been a perch for everything from a flicker to pine warbler.
And it’s staying. It isn’t a threat to fall on the house or anything else for that matter except for may a lone azalea bush.
My whole family gets a lot of pleasure watching the diverse birds that live and eat on our six acre lot. The tree stays until nature and weather finally win out and bring it down in a storm.
If you enjoy birds, like I do, tune into Backyard Wisdom tomorrow and hear Dr. Geoff Hill discuss his pursuit of the ivory-billed woodpecker in the swamps of north Florida.