A Strange & Curious Creature Habitat

This photo is of the old 21 foot poplar trunk that I see directly from my front window. It was a challenge to get permission from the city to create this habitat with the trunk when 30 other similar trees had to be removed from my street. However, it was well worth the effort when I, as well as the neighbours in the area, can observe "nature in action" and see the numerous bird species nesting and feeding on what I've come to call the "Urban Bird Time-Share."

This trailer birdhouse, with it's yellow door, attracted these Goldfinches 5 minutes after it was added.

When I took this "tree trunk" renovation on a few years ago (June 2002), I never would have guessed some of the unusual things that would have happened from it. "It" was a shady 87 year-old balsam cross poplar tree (one of the largest ones in all of Calgary). I had originally moved to the Sunnyside area because of the tree-lined nature of the streets.

Among its lovely old boughs, it housed a great variety of birds as well as other fury creatures scurrying up and down its trunk. The city's plan to take down 90% of the mature trees on 1st Avenue NW. (35 in total) was a serious shock to me. I attended the "Urban Forestry" meetings and shared my idea for a "Nature Habitat" in the portion of the tree that was still considered structurally safe.

This idea of mine was met with some encouragement. I drew up a plan for the trunk using the three main limbs to have some "designability" to work with. The city made it clear it would have to be at my own costs, which have climbed to over $1400. (This in fact does not include my actual time investment). As a life-long artist, it mattered to me that anything put on the tree had to be designed and constructed by myself or another Alberta artist.

The appeal for people of all ages has surprised me! The 2 tiny "clotheslines" on each side of the trunk have been the choice item for the over 40 group. One woman e-mailed to thank me for taking the time to decorate this old tree. She came upon it quite unexpectedly, while taking her elderly and terminally ill mother out for a drive. She thanked me especially for the fluttering little clothesline that got the first smile out of her mother in over a year!

The younger set are fond of the "hobbit door and window" on one side of the trunk. The tiny brass door-knob is "tried" each and every day by little ones as they pass by. I happened to come across the perfect tiny brass "lion's head" door-knocker (it was actually a drawer pull). One little girl asked me why the door wouldn't open... And her young friend quickly piped up that she hadn't used the knocker first.

Scooting by on his skateboard, a young early twenties lad, came to an abrupt halt when he saw the tree. He told me it was a "stellar" tree, and if he were a birdie he would rent the birdhouse that he could see had a satellite dish. He said that way he'd never miss "Tweedy Bird" each week!

Goldfinches (One of our neat Canadian species that use these upside down feeders).

I've had fun tracking down authentic Canadian places named after birds for all the provinces and territories. My favorite would have to be "Lac Rosignol" (Nightingale Lake) in Quebec. It just sounds so lovely in both languages.

Now this is strange but true. The name signs are on wooden paint-mixing sticks that I cut to an arrow point, painted "kelly" road-sign green, and put white block lettering on. One woman, after reading all the names, asked me in all seriousness if it had been difficult to get the government to agree to make up all these signs for me!

The creatures that have ended up using this place have been very surprising for sure. My favorite Canadian bird is our little Black-Capped Chickadee, which was the first species to continue to use the trunk to raise it's wee ones. The grey and black squirrels are year round residents here. It has bothered me when I see them tugging at the clothes on the teeny line way up top; trying to pull the fabric down into their squirrel hole to add to their nesting materials. But they have also been so good to "humour" me by actually using the bark steps that I attached to either side of the trunk.

The pair of Canada Geese that have taken to using the crook of the tree 18' up to lay their eggs and hatch their brood of goslings... has been my greatest satisfaction. I have used the beautiful graphic image of geese many times in my watercolour designs. For this story of the geese, I have devoted an entire page with photos.

The tree trunk has hosted Robins that sit on top of the cedar roofs to dry off from their bird bathing, Goldfinches that eat the thistle seed from the "upside-down feeder," 3 species of Woodpeckers that sleuth around the tree pecking for hidden "bug treasures," tiny delicate Warblers that look like yellow candies, a Magpie that showed real embarrassment when he attacked what turned out to be a wooden Wren carving, AND the most recent visitor was the tiny flying jewel that arrived this summer 2005!

She was a lady "Rufous Hummingbird." I initially saw her sitting on the wrought iron sign bar. She had come to spend 5 full weeks feeding and frolicking on my red honey suckle arbour right beside the "Urban Bird Time-Share" (this is what I ended up calling this trunk renovation.) I took a few good photos of her and will eventually do a watercolour of Ms. Rufous with the red flowers. I find it "Beyond A Blessing," that this old tree slated for removal has attracted one bird species that measures over 45" as well as another precious one not much over 3"!

These people and creature stories could go on. Possibly for some folks, they have grown weary of this old trunk on the boulevard here. But for others, I've come to believe they look forward to whatever may be new to the tree, and make a trek over on occasions to see what is going on and bring friends and family by to view as well... and enjoy what I hoped it might turn out to be... "A Strange & Curious Creature Habitat"!

Some of the tree additions:

• "The Jailbird House" by Tinker Tim (Tim Meyers)
• "Hobbit door & widows" by Al Gerritsen
• 2 Tree Frogs by Ritchie Velthuis
• Carved "House Wren" by Jack Hastie
• "Wonky" stove pipes by Richard Freely
• Carved "Tree Spirit" by David Kemp
• Trompe L'oeil Siamese cat by Wendy Charlton
• 3 huge bird house structures by Elmer Krivoshen
• Hand painted Sign Plate by Kim Warner
• Cedar shingle & filagree design work by Doug Lavoie
  (Thanks Dad!)