Scalping Bird Tree

Every spring I trim back Bird Tree so it doesn’t get too big for the yard. It is a chokecherry, and it enthusiastically spreads its branches each summer in a wild, gangly manner. We planted it when we moved in to give birds a place to eat close to the kitchen window so we can enjoy watching them. And we do. It does a great job, bringing in an amazing diversity of birds year-round. In fact, a surprising number of birds came in today to celebrate the annual scalping.

Last year I didn’t trim as aggressively as I should have, so this year I had to really whack it back to size. I took advantage of our great weather to get it done before the sap starts to rise. With more to cut than usual, I was up in the tree for quite awhile. After a particularly vigorous bout of sawing, I sat on the top of the ladder to rest for a minute, and to my surprise a redpoll came and landed right next to me, less than a foot away. I was wearing camouflage, an accident of very casual Sunday dressing, but it may have affected the birds’ behavior, much to my benefit.

After a couple more redpolls landed, a pair of Boreal Chickadees came in and began feeding on the suet below me. I’d frozen in place to watch the redpolls so close, and one of the Boreals flew up and wiped its bill on a branch just inches away. Then, to my complete surprise, it jumped onto my leg, pecked at a thread hanging from one of the buttons on my pants, and hopped slowly across my lap, stopping to look down at its mate still hammering away at the suet below us. It then hopped onto a branch right beside my hand and sat there for a moment before diving back down to have more suet.

I sat there a little longer in amazement. Working with birds as much as I do, I am used to being close to them and having them in the hand when mist netting, for example. But it’s always a pleasure to have them come in real close on their own. This was a step above even that, though, and it reminded me of doing playbacks in camouflage years ago and being so vigorously attacked that I thought I’d get one in my eye. Anyway, Boreal Chickadees are a classy bird and it made my day to have one come and sit on my lap.