This piece came from a large maple in the Long Beach area of Ten Mile Lake.  The maple was one of several trees that were removed from a sap-producing “sugar bush” to make room for a building site.  
The sugar bush was used by the former owners in the 50’s and 60’s, and again by us in 2011-2012.  Back in the day, there was a sugar shack onsite, in the midst of the maples, and sap was run across an elaborate wood-fired evaporating tray that would receive sap at one end and dispense nearly finished syrup at the other, quite an accomplishment. 
 The beginning hollow inside the mouth was expanded to make room for a bird nest, suitable for many of the smaller birds in the area.  The eyes are of white cedar.  There is no finish so as not to introduce chemicals into the birds' nesting lives.