Waxwings Gorge on Washington Hawthorn and Winterberry Holly

[Alfred Maley]

This year’s rains, along with good pollinating weather, have produced a bountiful fruit crop in our Washington Hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum) orchard and Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata)  thickets  About this time the robins, bluebirds and Cedar Waxwings show up to stuff themselves, right outside our windows.

Yesterday there were of the order of two dozen waxwings in the yard. When I saw them pecking at the frozen bird bath, I melted the ice and the whole bunch of them piled in, along with the bluebirds, a lone cowbird, and a surprising Pine Warbler. The waxwings are surprisingly tame but perhaps it’s because they spend much of the year in the yard eating mulberries, serviceberries, crabapples and dogwood berries.

I’d like to think that the large wildflower garden (in place of a lawn) out front has something to do with the fruit crop as I have censused as many as 400 bees of various sorts there during the summer.

Meanwhile, at the ratla, the Barred Owls celebrated Thanksgiving as soon as the frozen turkey arrived. The crows now have taken an interest and a raven or two is giving it the eyeball, leery as always of a trap. But they too will soon partake. Past years have seen turkey vultures and redtails and red-shoulders, but no Golden Eagle or Black Vultures (yet).

Al Maley

Hampstead, NH