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"If it ain't broke, you're not trying." - Red Green -
Re: Think I need to deal with this?
Yeah OK smartarse
I just thought it was better idea than dragging it onto a burn pile or letting the bugs turn it into mulch. I'll keep carving bits of ridiculously hard local hardwood and cursing Americans with their fancy basswood and cottonwood bark JayInOz
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Re: Think I need to deal with this?
Many trees hollow out for different reasons. Check for funal brackets in the autumn and take photos if you find any; post them here. For the sake of not disrupting the natural cycle, supporting wildlife and realising your place in it all, suffer the inconvenience of parking your trailer in a different spot? You could do some great wildlife camera videos with a known feeding spot like that. I often leave standing dead or dying trees for the insects and their predators. God knows we have done enough to decimate their territory with our chemical imperative.Comment
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Re: Think I need to deal with this?
Gotta have some part of me that's smart Jay. I apologize - I really was surprised at what it goes for & I appreciate your pointing it out."If it ain't broke, you're not trying." - Red GreenComment
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Re: Think I need to deal with this?
Not sure what funal brackets are? Google returned nothing.
To put the trailer in a different place that would be deemed acceptable (by the powers that be) I'd have to cut at least a half dozen healthy trees. This is why I asked about cutting it above the hollowed out section by a couple of feet. That I could do.
Also note that there are thousands of trees close to this one & I see/hear woodpeckers in many of them.
ETA: By thousands of trees, I mean a stretch roughly 1/2 mile by 1000 ft - 100% 50 year old maple, beech, birch (white & yellow), basswood, and a few hemlock & pines. Some of the white birch in particular have many woodpecker holes in 'em. If this tree were to fall naturally it'd also damage some maples that are 30-36" at the butt.Last edited by Garret; 12-06-2022, 04:31 PM."If it ain't broke, you're not trying." - Red GreenComment
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Re: Think I need to deal with this?
Certainly a dilemma. We border a bird sanctuary but in a geographical sense we're actually part of it since there's no fence ,and I'm sure our kiwi go over there for some ratite action, and theirs over here. So I'm very aware and conscious of what we do and when we do it. In fact the whole clearing out of the noxious tree species here is to get the place back to a reasonable balance and with more food from native trees and shrubs etc for the various birds that are around.
It brings a certain ' must be done ' ruthlessness to our strategy . If its dangerous it has to go sooner than later, if you want the ( in our case) native species to grow and thrive the toxic stuff has to go sooner than later. So we plan and do everything possible within reason to fell while mitigating damage, protecting the really valuable stuff might mean a common but still native type will be lost, but thats the cost the previous owners chose to ignore by letting these things get out of control.
It seems to me( from what the very capable Garret has said) that this particular tree should go.
Its stormy again here, how many times have I looked at my dead' Heron 'tree today because of this thread...Comment
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Re: Think I need to deal with this?
Thanks for your kind words John - but I'd really like to know if the birds might return to a cut off above the hole version of the tree. I have no problem with leaving an 8-9 foot "stump".
I know I could ask the woodpeckers, but it's more fun to ask the peckerheads...
"If it ain't broke, you're not trying." - Red GreenComment
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Re: Think I need to deal with this?
"Trees come and go. When one dies, the property owner’s first inclination is to cut it down —all the way down to the ground.But chances are a woodpecker in your neighborhood is looking for a dead tree to create a nest to raise its young.Woodpeckers prefer a near-dead or already dead tree because the excavating is easier than on live trees. They and many other bird species rely on dead trees for nesting, storing food, roosting and resting. For a nest, the woodpecker creates an upside down L-shaped chamber with entrance
Sometimes a dead tree near a house might cause a problem or trigger worries about toppling over. Consider removing just part of the tree—for example, lop off the top portion to reduce wind resistance. If all of part a tree has to be cut, place the dead portion at another location where wildlife can take advantage of it. Once the woodpecker has raised its young and left the cavity, songbirds will be more than happy to move in. So leaving dead trees on your property is helpful to all types of birds."
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Re: Think I need to deal with this?
From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
"Almost all birds native to the United States, including their nests and eggs, are protected by a federal law that has been in place since 1918. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects more than a thousand species of birds, including woodpeckers. Don’t let the name fool you though, protection is not limited to only individual birds or species that migrate.
With this huge group of protected birds, and varying legal methods for handling unwanted bird activity on your property, you may feel overwhelmed. If you have woodpecker activity at your home that you feel needs to be addressed, we can help. Find your local Migratory Birds Program contact to connect with one of our wildlife professionals who will help you assess the situation and find legal solutions."
More :
"Trees come and go. When one dies, the property owner’s first inclination is to cut it down —all the way down to the ground.But chances are a woodpecker in your neighborhood is looking for a dead tree to create a nest to raise its young.Woodpeckers prefer a near-dead or already dead tree because the excavating is easier than on live trees. They and many other bird species rely on dead trees for nesting, storing food, roosting and resting. For a nest, the woodpecker creates an upside down L-shaped chamber with entrance
Sometimes a dead tree near a house might cause a problem or trigger worries about toppling over. Consider removing just part of the tree—for example, lop off the top portion to reduce wind resistance. If all of part a tree has to be cut, place the dead portion at another location where wildlife can take advantage of it. Once the woodpecker has raised its young and left the cavity, songbirds will be more than happy to move in. So leaving dead trees on your property is helpful to all types of birds."
It is never a good idea to tamper with a woodpecker’s pre-built nest, especially given that woodpeckers are protected in the US, and that – these birds take weeks out of their life to drill into very specific spots! It’s a laborious process, and woodpeckers know best.
https://wildyards.com/woodpecker-nests/
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Re: Think I need to deal with this?
My opinion:
The decline of bird populations today are significant, and very noticeable to me who came of age during the Silent Spring.
Bird populations are seriously threatened and it is painful to observe this destruction first hand.
The inconvenience of moving a trailer a few feet is not equitable with the destruction of that prime habitat.
53% population loss to eastern forest bird species but I fear the truth is much worse than that.
"The study found that population decline was not limited to a few species but a wide range of species across every biome (a large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat). Population loss in each biome ranged from Grassland bird populations suffering the greatest loss at 53 percent to eastern forest birds with the lowest loss at 17 percent. Researchers also found that common birds from just 12 families, such as blackbirds, sparrows and finches, account for over 90 percent—or over 2.5 billion birds—of total population decline. Experts believe that habitat loss due to agricultural development and intensification is most likely the driving factor."
https://emagazine.com/bird-population-declines/Comment
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Re: Think I need to deal with this?
You could put a semi permanent safety line on it to prevent it from falling in a bad direction(the trailer)
Leaving a stub is a cool idea.
The cutting from a bucket or scaffold ,not so much.
If I needed to,I would probably rig a pull rope to a turning block anchored low on a big tree in a happy direction. Then led to your truck (placed not far from the scaffold and pointed toward the nearest hospital)
Make a shallow wedge(less than a 1/3 dia.) cut
Wedges handy,make a shallowish back cut leaving maybe 3-4" of hinge.
Drive wedges
Climb down
Get in truck and pull tree down with the truck as you are headed out the laneway.
RSleep with one eye open.Comment
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Re: Think I need to deal with this?
I doubt that is a nest hole. I suspect it is just feeding activity. If you worry about cutting it above the hollow, I would just cut it down low and leave the hollow part where they could feed on it on the ground. I do have a number of standing dead snags on this property for the birds in places where they won't hurt anything if they fall.Comment
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Re: Think I need to deal with this?
Yes. And cut it above the nest hollow if possible. I have experience, and a close shave with a 60ft hollow eucalyptus. Bottom 40ft was hollow. Only an inch or so of live wood round the drum, and when I cut into it as I expected the whole hollow structure of the tree collapsed but I was well out of the way because I knew that would happen. I should have paid for a professional with a tower, such trees are unpredictableComment
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