Japanese Blood Red Maples I have a young Jananese Blood Red Maple on my balcony which I just noticed is being visited by beautiful little birds...then I noticed that these little beauties are feasting on the tiny twin dark-red conical "buds" - found at the very end of each of the many small branch-twigs! I presume these were meant to be leaves. Am I right in thinking that my feathered friends are ruining my maple - or at least thinning the future leaf -density? Will those leaves sprout up again after the growing season starts, or are these twig-ends forever to be barren now. Should I have protected the tree in this time of need for the birds' dinner? Will Nature push up new leaf-buds to replace those that the birds have eaten? Help - quick. Thanks alot.
I don't know the answer, but will add my experience with A. j. Aconitifolium, watching birds in spring sitting on the branches feasting on the new buds. I guess the answer is the tree is doing fine in spite of that experience, and is now large enough that I doubt it would ever be a problem again.
Probably that's supposed to be 'Bloodgood', rather than Blood Red. From what I have read certain songbirds are quite a nuisance in English gardens. Haven't seen much of this down here. Maybe the British influence up there is affecting the behavior of the birds.
Bud destruction Caddy--these are probably house finches, well known in England (called linnets there) as well as B.C. They have always cropped the peach and crab apple flower buds here, and like someone said the best strategy is to hope your tree grows big enough that you won't really notice anymore. The only other way to control them is to net the tree...this is possible when the tree is small and you're still noticing the damage...not as feasible or necessary as the tree gets big... They will be hanging out on my fruit trees very soon now, as flower buds begin to swell! Glen
