One thing about Virginia Creeper is that it likes to climb. Fence posts, trees, the speed limit sign where our road turns off from the highway... in the fall, their leaves turn brilliant red, contrasting with the deep blue berries. Those berries are poisonous for people, but birds love them. Mary Anne Borge writes about birds and creeper berries over at her blog.
What kinds of berries do you see ripening on plants in your neighborhood? Do you have any trees in your yard that birds flock to for fall and winter snacking?
Grab some binoculars and head out to where the berries grow. If you've got some Virginia Creeper growing nearby, watch for these berry-nibbling birds:
- Woodpeckers
- Titmice
- Chickadees
- Nuthatches
- Thrushes
- Robins
- Catbirds
- Eastern Bluebirds
- Cedar Waxwings
Pretty photo. Thanks. We get a lot of pyrocantha (I think that's what it's called) with lots of tiny bright red berries. The birds eat them and get drunk!
ReplyDeleteoh yes - I remember hearing about those berries!
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