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The ice storm benefited birds not only in my side yard but in other places where limbs fell and created safety for birds; a place where they could search for food without fear of diving predators. A hungry Sharp-shinned Hawk can’t fly well in a twig tangle.
storms are nature’s wayof=f»raning. The removal of dead and*ttsel§gstwigs and branches by icemayssaot^be man’s idea of pruning —^yer~ pruning it is. The trees are better off for the removal of the burden of twigs^ho longer bearing summer foliage and functioning as sun traps.
In traveling about during the days after the world was coated with ice, I began to look carefully at places exposed when large limbs separated from trees and fell to the ground. There was often a brown, hollow space indicating disease and weakness. Insects or fungus had been at work.
In separating from the tree, the limbs exposed new sources of food for birds. Overwintering insects or their eggs were exposed. Birds quickly take advantage and exploit what has been hidden and unavailable. In some instances enough hollow space remained on the tree to provide nesting cavities for titmice and chickadees. Flying and gray squirrels have had a fine time exploring newly available places to spend a cold winter night.
There are other ways to perceive ice storms. We humans are inclined to view weather from a narrow and limited perception. Weathermen and their colleagues on TV constantly speak of weather in terms of
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