Re: [cobirds] Magpies and Creeper Berries - Arapahoe / Denver

[Charles Hundertmark]

In a journal article some time back, biologists postulated a coevolutionary 
relationship between fruit-bearing plants in the rosaceae family and birds. The 
fruit, particularly berries, of different rosaceae species become “mellow’d” at 
different times of year.This allows birds to find fruit throughout much of the 
year fostering the relationship with birds as seed dispersers. I have noticed 
this with some of our fruiting trees at home. In June or July as our 
serviceberry tree’s berries are beginning to turn red, the robins and House 
Finches hit them like mad, denuding the tree of berries in a couple of weeks. 
Meanwhile, crabapples ripen more slowly and, unless the squirrels get them, may 
survive into winter being suddenly discovered by robins and waxwings in late 
winter. Mountain ash berries are not favored until late winter or early spring 
when robins migrating north find them and strip the tree of berries in short 
order.

Chuck Hundertmark
Lafayette, CO


> On Nov 12, 2021, at 6:05 AM, Jared Del Rosso  wrote:
> 
> I recently encountered a line from Walt Whitman, in which he describes 
> "frost-mellow'd berries." I'm wondering if cold has this effect on creeper 
> berries. The vines around Centennial and Denver are laden this year. And yet 
> many of the berries have hung around, untouched until this week. Twice in the 
> past few days, I've watched magpies hopping from sidewalks to collect the 
> berries from vines. It's a fairly endearing method of feeding.
> 
> - Jared Del Rosso
> Centennial, CO
> 
> 
> 
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[cobirds] Magpies and Creeper Berries - Arapahoe / Denver

[Jared Del Rosso]

I recently encountered a line from Walt Whitman, in which he describes 
"frost-mellow'd berries." I'm wondering if cold has this effect on creeper 
berries. The vines around Centennial and Denver are laden this year. And 
yet many of the berries have hung around, untouched until this week. Twice 
in the past few days, I've watched magpies hopping from sidewalks to 
collect the berries from vines. It's a fairly endearing method of feeding.

- Jared Del Rosso
Centennial, CO


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