Tree crew rescues, reunites woodpeckers
WINTER PARK — As a crew chopped down a dead laurel oak earlier this week, a loud screeching sound from inside a chunk of the tree stopped them.
Nestled inside a cavity of the sawed-off log were three red-bellied woodpecker chicks, with no parents around. At the sight of the baby birds, the workers called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for advice.
“They were [told] that if they put this section of tree back up there, the parents most likely would come back,” said Dru Dennison, who manages Winter Park’s Urban Forestry Division.
So, using a bucket truck, the crew hoisted the log back atop the trunk and lashed it there with cable Monday. Within five minutes, the mother landed on the oak, poked her head inside and rejoined her chicks.
Winter Park has decided to leave the tree alone for the remainder of their short nesting season.
Julie Wraithmell, deputy executive director of Audubon Florida, said she’s never heard of workers tying a tree back together to save a nest. She applauded their efforts. “These birds are very invested already,” she said. “They’ve put a lot of effort into getting their kids this far — it takes a lot for them to give up.”
The workers, employed by Davey Tree Expert Co., work under contract for tree removal with the city.
On Wednesday, light chirping could be heard from the trunk on a shaded street near trendy Park Avenue.
The birds’ stay will likely be short lived, Wraithmell said, as woodpecker chicks grow quickly and will soon be ready for life on their own.
“The exciting thing about that is dead trees are important for woodpeckers,” she said. “How lucky that homeowner is to have this little family until they leave."