The gnarly apple tree in our back yard is home to a house finch family. They’re delighted by the bird bath and the two feeders now hanging from the tree. (‘Let’s not go to that one, lets go to the good one’) I’m anthropomorphizing of course, but how could the birds not be delighted?
The tree also has a problem with boring insects. Nearly every inch of the tree has a hole in it with sawdust coming out. This is kind of disturbing because it means we probably have to cut it down unless the extension officer thinks it’s cool. In the mean time, a downy woodpecker is frequenting the tree. I’m going to take a guess that it too is delighted.
As a “trained” horticulturlist … i feel i should mention that if you had had the chance to catch the infestation of insects prior to the woodpeckers … it might have been possible to save the tree …. however now that the woodpeckers are into it … they’ll wind up doing as much harm as good … mores the pity.
Grim news i’m sorry to say …