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Friday, May 25, 2012

100 Cedar Waxwings Can't be Wrong! Plant a Black Cherry!

I'd been hearing Cedar Waxwings in the area for the past few days, now I know why, Black Cherries!
 
   We who garden for nature don't really need an excuse to add another plant species to our yard, but in case you do ;) or you're actually more of a birder than gardener, let me recommend our native Black Cherry (Prunus serotina). Jeff and I call this particular tree the "Flicker Tree" because in winter we often see Flickers hanging out in the top. This tree actually sits on the far edge of our neighbors yard but we have a clear view of it, and so do the birds. It happens to be the highest vantage point around, which makes it the perfect roosting spot for the birds and bird watching target for us. The fact that it a fruiting tree makes it all the more attractive, making the insects buzz with delight in the spring and a living bird feeder in the summer. Some of the birds we regularly see here are, of course, Cedar Waxwings, Bluebirds, Flickers, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Kingbirds (when in the area), Cooper's Hawks, Robins, and occasionally a Kestrel. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few.
   So there you have it, plant a Black Cherry and get yourself some nice binoculars to watch the action that will surely ensue!

Hey guys, they're not even ripe yet!

The "Flicker" tree, as viewed from our yard, a classic double trunked specimen

2 comments:

  1. You see Waxwings all the time and I have not seen one since late fall! Wow, that last photo really makes our "yard" look like an overgrown jungle!!!

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  2. I'm very partial to black cherry, and leave them when thinning out the over-growth, and even in the veggie garden!

    I hadn't noticed which birds were eating the cherries, just that they weren't leaving many for human consumption the past few years...

    Very nice bird pics...

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