It’s still a couple of weeks early for the Quince to be really budding up. When I see the bushtits getting interested in it in a couple of weeks or so, I’ll check carefully for aphids and scaly stuff. However, last year I was able to see actual petals in their beaks on a few occasions, so I did decide they were after flower buds.
Carol Blackard carolblackard.com Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 14, 2022, at 8:29 PM, Jennifer Powell <[email protected]> wrote: > > > We have some shrubby wild plums that grow around our yard and every spring I > see birds, usually house finches, methodically going up and down the stems > eating early flower buds one after another. > > Jennifer Powell > > Jeffco, near Standley Lake > > > > On 2/14/2022 9:27 AM, 'Carol Blackard' via Colorado Birds wrote: >> Lateral but still birdy shift here: I’ve been watching bushtits picking off >> and downing buds from our Flowering Quince bushes in March for years, >> sometimes chickadees. At first I thought they might be going for insect >> larvae, but I now think it’s the flower buds. >> >> Carol Blackard >> carolblackard.com >> Sent from my iPhone >> >>> On Feb 14, 2022, at 9:16 AM, DAVID A LEATHERMAN <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>> >>> At least four people have sent me pics or descriptions of house finches at >>> or near the pyrrhuloxia yard eating tree parts and have said the >>> pyrrhuloxia was associating with the finches for a lengthy period of time, >>> maybe doing the same thing. The "tree parts" are buds. Trees have two >>> primary types of buds: flower buds and leaf buds. At this time of year the >>> flower buds, which are first to open for most types of trees, swell. As >>> such they are nutritional sinks and a valuable source of bird food, >>> especially for finches, cardinals and the like. The tree shown in the pics >>> I've received looks like Siberian elm, a tree that has been flowering >>> earlier and earlier in my experience. In recent years I have seen a few >>> elm flowers in late February, with March being the peak. It would be cool >>> if somebody could document the pyrrhuloxia eating Siberian elm flower buds. >>> Birds actively consuming large numbers of buds, which is a messy >>> operation, often show considerable "debris" on their beaks. Maybe one of >>> you has a photo of the pyrrhuloxia with a messy beak and it could be >>> determined if the mess is from sunflower seed or tree buds. A photo of the >>> pyrrhuloxia actually putting its beak down to a twig with swollen dark >>> brown buds would be better proof. >>> >>> We all know animals are opportunists. Studying fox squirrels over the >>> years, I have long thought one could pretty accurately predict the order in >>> which our urban trees flower and/or leaf out by noting the tree species >>> when one sees squirrels chowing down on buds and dropping the worked over >>> twigs. The squirrels favoring one kind of tree this week will most likely >>> be in a different type of tree next week. Keep track of the sequence and I >>> think it would be a good match to the flowering/leafing sequence for that >>> same set of trees weeks hence. Somehow, probably related to smell in the >>> case of squirrels, they know where to get the biggest bang for the bite. >>> The pattern doesn't seem quite as clearcut for birds. My thought would be >>> that birds are going by visual clues (i.e., watching for swelling which >>> indicates a recent or on-going investment in the growing points by the >>> plant), and that visual assessment might not be as precise as the aromatic >>> acuity possessed by squirrels. >>> >>> Memberships in the CSFTEA (Colorado Society For The Easily Amused) are >>> free. Join today. >>> >>> Dave Leatherman >>> Fort Collins >>> -- >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Colorado Birds" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en >>> * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include >>> bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate >>> * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "Colorado Birds" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to [email protected]. >>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CY4PR0601MB37631387DEB357B5429B74A7C1339%40CY4PR0601MB3763.namprd06.prod.outlook.com. >> -- >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Groups "Colorado Birds" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en >> * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include >> bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate >> * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Colorado Birds" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/9D0E0EEC-5472-4895-9220-99A5B244166F%40icloud.com. > -- > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "Colorado Birds" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en > * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include > bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate > * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Colorado Birds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/b2b974ac-5315-cb0e-17fd-5e4bde0a6e9d%40well.com. -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/8185ADED-E6B6-4B1B-BA4E-1E2A53AE4D5B%40icloud.com.
