A glimpse of winter sky through a tangle of arching branches might first bring thoughts of winter’s starkness and simplicity. 

But a closer look reveals that these limbs are full of life. Soon, the sap will start to flow up from the ground through the trunk and into the twigs, where it will nourish the new leaves once they bud. 

Even in the dormant season, though, the branches offer rest and recharging, a perch. I’ve been watching the black gum tree, observing how birds alight on its limbs while awaiting their turn at the feeder or suet block. 

They are mostly patient, these birds. They will sit still as statues until there’s an opening, then they will swoop in and gobble up the seed or suet. 

I snapped a photo of two birds this morning. They are barely discernible amid the long black fingers of the gum tree. But they are there, biding their time.