Robins and nature's abundance

Time to visit the little forest again. It changes so fast and so often that I always feel as though I might miss out.  This time I wasn't going bird watching alone. I was joined on the main path by this friendly little kitty, who either followed me around or ran ahead like an eager puppy, when he wasn't waiting for me to tag along that is. What a wonderful companion he was, although I did have to warn him away from the squirrels a time or two.

The kitty following me

Kitty waiting for me

The forest had indeed changed again, the fledgling crows are gone and the cheerful Chickadees are  are back in view, with the nesting and raising of the young all done. The city has cut down one of the dead trees and wisely, in my opinion, left the trunk and branches on the ground to recycle naturally.


What really got my attention though, was the abundance of both Robins and berries this year.

American Robin Adult

Juvenile Robin1

There seemed to be a Robin on every branch and in every bush.  They were mostly juveniles , with a few fledgelings mixed in. The cat would disappear occasionally and reappear again to alarm the anxious parents of the fledgelings.  Fortunately for the Robins, he seemed disinterested in them, being far more focused on the squirrels.

Juvenile 2

Juvenile 3

Fledgeling in the berry bush

There were berries everywhere I turned.  There is the green berry that was turning orange and then red on single stemmed plants all over the forest floor.  Then there is the Mountain Ash berry, but I also counted at least four species of berries that I couldn't identify.  Most of these berries are red, and some of the birds were eating them, although I suspect that they might be toxic to people.

Juicy red berries

Berries just ripening

More red berries

There are also berries that are edible, like these Saskatoon berries. 

Saskatoon berries

Yum, they make great jam.  There are both high-bush and low-bush cranberries, and  I also found this gem in the photo below.  I love raspberries and black berries.

Ok, I confess, I cheated, this raspberry bush was growing along the fence of a property that backs on to the little forest.

Raspberry

The crab-apple bush at the entrance to the forest is also producing a bumper-crop of little apples for the birds and squirrels to feed on this winter, although they are still green.  That crab-apple bush supplies a lot of food for the wildlife in the forest almost all year round, from seed, to fruit and flower petals.  The wildlife just loves it.  In fact, I have captured many photos of birds and squirrels on that bush.

Squirrel snacking on Saskatoon berries

For now the birds and squirrels are enjoying the berries as you can sort of see in this photo. 

Enjoy,
Susan