I was out paddling on a still evening. I approached the hulk of tall, dead tree in which sat three birds. A bald eagle had the highest perch, and a pair of egrets were sitting two limbs below. I paddled towards the tree with my eye on the eagle. They almost always fly off when approached and I enjoy that moment when they spread their wings and push off, as this one did. As the eagle leaped, the egrets took off, and the tree broke into numerous pieces, three to eight feet in length, and crashed down into the water and creekside woods. It seemed weird to be staring at empty sky where seconds earlier had been a tree and large birds.
This can’t be the first time in history that birds destabilized a tree that then fell. Several times I’ve seen trees fall out in the forest on calm days. Countless times, I’ve seen eagles, herons and ospreys fly from tree limbs. But I never saw birds fly out of a tree that then fell apart. Of course, no photo or video.
This can’t be the first time in history that birds destabilized a tree that then fell. Several times I’ve seen trees fall out in the forest on calm days. Countless times, I’ve seen eagles, herons and ospreys fly from tree limbs. But I never saw birds fly out of a tree that then fell apart. Of course, no photo or video.