Gray Catbirds can’t pass up ripe fall berries. In this case native American Beautyberry berries. Gray Catbirds are not alone. Birds, especially migrants, use the high fat & nutrient content of berries they co-evolved with. These nutrients help resident species prepare for winter. They also aid migratory species successfully make their trips back to tropical […]
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,,, or any other native fall-ripening berry plant. In autumn, many species of birds switch from an insect rich diet to including more ‘fruits and vegetables’. For year-round residents and partial, short-haul migrants this switch provides fats, amino acids, and antioxidants that help them recover from molting and prepare for winter. For the long-haul migrants, […]
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Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) trees are ‘super-natives’, in my opinion. They are native, hardy, have beautiful early spring white blossoms followed by colorful fruit loved by wildlife, especially birds, and eatable by humans, and glow in rich fall colors. They even have an interesting backstory. Serviceberry (or Sarvisberry if you prefer Old English) is but one common […]
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