Sunday, January 20, 2013

Raiding the Larder



Berries are a wonderful sustenance during the cold winter months for man and bird. We have frozen strawberries which we have made into a syrup for our pancakes.   It is a sweet, brief reminder that spring is just around the corner and spring berries will be ripening and waiting for picking by man and bird soon.

We also have frozen pyracantha berries in the front yard.  There is a mockingbird in the front yard that has been hanging out over the 10 foot long pyracantha hedge that separates the vegetable garden from the lawn.  He struts and snaps his tail with territorial courage balancing on the garden fence.  The healthy hedge is full of red berries and nasty thorns. The frost has finally come to the yard and the bright fire-engine-red berries are turning a deeper blood red. The colder weather softens and sweetens these ruby orbs.  The mockingbird has been chasing away every cardinal and titmouse in his effort to claim the harvest, but there is enough to share and he will have to admit that truth eventually when his belly is too full or the titmouse below wearies him.



17 comments:

  1. Here too, Tabor. The robins and one feisty little wren have stripped the berry bearing tree outside my window bare of fruit. Many pleasant hours watching them. The co-op was selling strawberry plants. I passed. I’ve learned not to purchase anything without first preparing a place to plop, err plant it. Happy Sunday.

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  2. oo cool picture there in the end...the strawberry syrup sounds good...i love berries...was watching the birds in the tree the other day...and not just the vultures i wrote on today...smiles.

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  3. What a wonderful image of the bird and berries - it looks like a painting...

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  4. What a FABULOUS picture of the Titmouse---I do just love those berries/birds photos.

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  5. Here it's the mountain ash that has the red berries so loved by the birds. Interesting that in the spring when the robins return they eat these berries even when they are brown and dried up.

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  6. the cardinal is still the only bird to find the tea cup and so I have filled it with only sunflower seeds now. but I wonder why he doesn't bring his mate.

    I love the pic of the titmouse. how did you do that?

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  7. The titmouse looks hand painted into the scene.

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  8. Ellen I used one of the Photoshop filters and fiddled with the light levels.

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  9. Yes..summer is coming..thank the Good Lord! Sigh!
    Beautiful photos!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  10. ah, strawberries...will have to break out the last jar of jam...to me, strawberries always taste like summer. that's an amazing picture of the titmouse - love the grey with the birch bark and the red of the berries!

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  11. Berries in winter is why we have freezers. Robins usually arrive in flocks to clean out our ornamental berries.

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  12. That's such colorful beauty. I love those. :)

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  13. That is a beautiful Titmouse, I love it Tabor.

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  14. Tabor -- Wonderful that you have pyracantha berries for winter feed for your birds. I know that berries on many berry plants have to reach a certain peak before birds will attempt to eat them. Would be a fun scene to watch -- the territory politics of your hungry birds. -- barbara

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  15. A most awesome shot of the titmouse! I wish I had taken it :)

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  16. Great picture of the little Tufted Titmouse... So cute!!!!

    We love strawberries --and eat the frozen ones during the winter... YUM.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  17. those are both great shots. i love the way the frost edges the leaves.

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