They just showed up here (Montana) within the last week ... maybe they come from your place to mine! I have chicken wire around the trunk of my trees, up to the lower branches, but they are girdling them higher up.

Maybe...on a re-fuelling stopover and soon gone, trees are slowing down in sap flow. I've never had much damage on fruit trees, mostly birch, pine, spruce, chokecherries and willows. Pictures?

Here's a picture ... not that great, but it shows the damage. The white is what's left of latex I paint up the side of the tree to protect it from sunscald.

Yea..should be fine, enough bark left to heal in.

Good to hear. I'm relieved.

I just had the same problem last week, and the wasps took over the trunk getting at the sap. When this happened this summer to my son's pear he sprayed the trunk with a tree sealer. The birds left it alone and now it seems to be healing.