We took a tour around our bush lots last week to see how they had weathered the winter. This clump hadn't; a windstorm blew it over. Wind and weather are not kind to shallow rooted trees.
We leave dead stumps in place for wildlife habitat. Here is a stump that the pileated woodpeckers found.
This shot shows leftover damage from the huge ice storm we had in 1998. The curved tree was bent over by the ice and has never recovered properly; but it is struggling to survive as the branches growing from the curve show.We heat with wood -- and we have lots and lots of candidates to become firewood this spring.
Sorry Exup, I should have put in the info about the bird. You can read and hear and see a pileated woodpecker here.
We also have hairy and downy woodpeckers and this evening we had three sapsuckers blow through, doing their spring thing. Very cool. Unfortunately, I can't find an easy reference to their mating display. However, we have a hunt camp on the next lot to us with a metal chimney and the birds have been drumming on the chimney for the last few days. They have to have horrible headaches.
In other news, half of my daffodils came out today. Tomorrow I am going to try for closeups with the new camera. Stay tuned.
Wow - I don't think I'd like to meet those woodpeckers. Those are some serious pecking holes. I looked them up on google and they're freakin' huge! Have you ever encountered one?
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be fun to explore with Shammy? (and can you imagine her covered in spring mud and dead leaves ...)
ReplyDeletewe had a woodpecker attach the metal on our chimney once. scared the heck out of me!
ReplyDeleteer... I mean ATTACK
ReplyDeleteChildren are also an enemy of trees... I put some of my "homemade" compost in a pot & mixed it with potting soil & planted tomatoes in it and viola, a ponderosa tree sprouted. My 4yo recognized it and uprooted it. Because trees are supposed to grow outside, Mama. HEY! I was going to transplant that!
ReplyDeleteHooooray on the daffodils. They always make me smile.
Those are some cool photos. That woodpecker damage is pretty amazing looking.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid we're going to have to be our trees' enemies ourselves. We have too many too close to the house, and the excessive shade is leading to problems.
Nothing like a great spot for the woodpeckers to go nuts on! Love the pileated ones.
ReplyDeleteIs it just me, or does that tree look like it has breasts?
ReplyDeleteOr am I just jealous because a tree has a better rack than I do??