Today I thought I’d share some of my feathered friends finding their favorite holiday treats! My observations tell me that some berries are preferred over others, but the preference varies by species. Here are some examples.
Poison ivy berries are to flickers and woodpeckers as catnip is to cats, at least it appears this way to me. It’s harder for a flicker to eat these tiny berries because they are often on tiny branches - but they manage!
I admit I was a little shocked to see both how brave this little downy was, getting anywhere near a flicker with her “stash” and also that the flicker allowed her in. I guess that’s the difference when it’s two females vs two males!
It’s a little easier for the downy to get at these small berries.
The yellow-rumped warblers have to dart in around the woodpeckers, but they have a taste for poison ivy berries too.
The pear tree berries are a favorite for Cedar waxwings.
Look at that unique tongue!
I was totally fascinated by the cedar waxwing tongues as I was watching so I looked it up and found the following:
In "What It’s Like To Be A Bird", David Allen Sibley writes: “The diet of waxwings is mainly fruit for much of the year, and they have several adaptations related to this. They have a relatively small bill, but it opens into an unusually wide mouth, allowing them to swallow large fruit whole. Their tongue has inward-facing barbs to help pull fruit into their throat.”
Whatever it takes to get the best berries. They are selective! Only the ripe ones will do!
Robins will do a happy dance for these berries - after running off the other robins of course.
Chickadees eat them too. It seems like there is a tiny bit of pure gold in the center which they chickadees will search for.
Is that like the center of a tootsie pop?
The juniper berries aren’t as plentiful, but I do think they are preferred over the pear berries and definitely over the honeysuckle berries by the robins, waxwings and sparrows.
The finches seem to like the honeysuckle berries. Or at least they do this time of year when the other choices become limited.
Sometimes I just think finches like to make a mess, the messier the better!
While I’m watching birds eating berries, sometimes a ruby-crowned kinglet will sneak through. I don’t think they eat berries at all. They seem to be experts at finding the tiniest of bugs to eat. I love their feet!
And somehow here we are, back to a full moon again. The moon has been hidden for days here under the clouds while we get a soaking rain. It may be about to actually get cold, or at least coldish, which honestly it should have done a month ago.
Whatever your holiday brings, I hope you find moments of joy - the best kind of treats.
Great photos and info.
Just beautiful.