Recently I saw mentioned that Pine Grosbeaks prefer the seeds and often don’t eat the whole berries when foraging on Mountian Ash (Sorbus aucuparia) berries. This is contrast to American Robins, Varied Thrushes, and Bohemian Waxwings – other species seen around here that eat the whole fruit.

I have seen Pine Grosbeaks eating Mountain Ash berries several times, but hadn’t ever really noticed that they didn’t eat the whole fruit. While out looking for the Townsend’s Solitaire the day after it was found, I watched a small group of grosbeaks eating berries. There were some berry skins on the ground, and the grosbeaks generally seemed to have a bit of a mess on their bills (as seen in the picture above) – presumably from mashing the berries up to extract the seed before dropping what remains of the flesh. Perhaps now I can sometimes track grosbeak presence by noticing the berry skins they leave behind.

Bohemian Waxwings seemed to move in with the snow mid-November this year. Some years they are hardly here at all, but this bird was part of a flock of 30 or so birds feeding on ornamental shrubs with fruit and mountain ash berries.

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Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)

Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) eating European Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuparia) berry.

Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) on European Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuparia)

Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) takes flight after feeding on Mountain Ash berries.

While walking through town on my way to UAS, I was inspired to take a series of tree silhouette photos. It was interesting to see how distinct they looked, even in silhouette. Of course the colorful sky as a backdrop didn’t hurt.

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One of a series of tree silhouettes to illustrate differences in growth paterns between species.

One of a series of tree silhouettes to illustrate differences in growth paterns between species.

One of a series of tree silhouettes to illustrate differences in growth paterns between species.

One of a series of tree silhouettes to illustrate differences in growth paterns between species.

One of a series of tree silhouettes to illustrate differences in growth paterns between species.

One of a series of tree silhouettes to illustrate differences in growth paterns between species.

One of a series of tree silhouettes to illustrate differences in growth paterns between species.

One of a series of tree silhouettes to illustrate differences in growth paterns between species.

One of a series of tree silhouettes to illustrate differences in growth paterns between species.

One of a series of tree silhouettes to illustrate differences in growth paterns between species.

Pink clouds color the sky behind O'Connell Bridge with Mt. Edgecumbe in the distance.

Colorful winter sunset observed from O'Connell Bridge.

One of a series of tree silhouettes to illustrate differences in growth paterns between species.

One of a series of tree silhouettes to illustrate differences in growth paterns between species.

One of a series of tree silhouettes to illustrate differences in growth paterns between species.

One of a series of tree silhouettes to illustrate differences in growth paterns between species.

One of a series of tree silhouettes to illustrate differences in growth paterns between species.

One of a series of tree silhouettes to illustrate differences in growth paterns between species.

One of a series of tree silhouettes to illustrate differences in growth paterns between species.

Colorful winter sunset observed from O'Connell Bridge.

Colorful winter sunset observed from O'Connell Bridge.

Colorful winter sunset observed from O'Connell Bridge.

Observed growing on Rowan Tree (Sorbus aucuparia) on SJC Quad.

My brother recently posted about a polypore that had grown around an alder stick, speculating on how this may have happened, given alder’s normally rapid decay, and a polypore’s presumably slow growth.

The post reminded me of a picture I took of a polypore growing on a Mt. Ash (Sorbus aucuparia) about a year ago, where it had grown around a leaf of the tree. Unfortunately, I did not take a picture clearly showing that, but in the photo above, you can see where parts of the leaf stick out from the under surface of the left side of the polypore. This suggests to me that polypores probably are capable of faster growth than one might otherwise suspect from the fairly drab woody polypores (locally often referred to as “bear’s bread”, though that includes several different species, none of which are eaten by bears), especially when it is so easy to see growth layers in some species that imply relatively small amounts of growth from year to year. A quick google search didn’t turn up anything I could find about growth rates of the fruiting bodies of similar polypores.

Heavy rains on top of melting snow raised the level of Indian River substantially.

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I hvae not previously noticed Rowan Trees (Sorbus aucuparia)

I hvae not previously noticed Rowan Trees (Sorbus aucuparia) responding to sapsucker wells in quite this way.

With warmer temperatures and heavy rain on top of snow, Indian River water levels rose to at leat a couple of feet above normal.

Connor and Rowan braved the rain with me to see how high the water was in Indian River.

With warmer temperatures and heavy rain on top of snow, Indian River water levels rose to at leat a couple of feet above normal.

Connor and Rowan braved the rain with me to see how high the water was in Indian River.

Connor and Rowan braved the rain with me to see how high the water was in Indian River.

Although water volume was significantly greater than normal, it was still well below the highest levels I've seen.

The pipe for the SJC flume gets quite slippery when wet. Connor is climbing back up after slipping into the snow.

Connor and I had a good time watching Bohemian Waxwings and Yellow-rumped Warblers on Hemlock Street today. The birds were quite cooperative.

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I think this Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) was probably stretching its wing while eating berries.

One of about 100 Bohemian Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus) foraging on berries in a Sitka neighborhood.

The Bohemian Waxwings flew quite close to us as we stood there watching them.

These berries were growing on an ornamental bush, but I am not sure what species. The Bohemian Waxwings seemed to like them.

Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) eating Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuparia) berries.

Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) taking a break from eating Mountain Ash berries.

Bohemian Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus) eating Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuparia) berries.

This was one of two Yellow-rumped Warblers (Dendroica coronata) we saw. This is a very late date for them to be around.

This was one of two Yellow-rumped Warblers (Dendroica coronata) we saw. This is a very late date for them to be around.

This was one of two Yellow-rumped Warblers (Dendroica coronata) we saw. This is a very late date for them to be around.

Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) eating Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuparia) berries.

Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) eating Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuparia) berries.

Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) eating Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuparia) berries.

Bohemian Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus) eating berries from an ornamental shrub.

Bohemian Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus) eating berries from an ornamental shrub.

Bohemian Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus) eating berries from an ornamental shrub.

Bohemian Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus) eating berries from an ornamental shrub.

Bohemian Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus) eating berries from an ornamental shrub.

Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) eating berries from an ornamental shrub.

Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) eating berries from an ornamental shrub.

Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) eating berries from an ornamental shrub.