Our Mulberry tree (Morus rubra) is providing delectable fruits to the local bird population right now.  In fact there are so many visitors I think that it must be on the bird version of the interstate flyway guide as a standard stopping point.  I used to think that mulberries were an annoyance because of the falling fruit and the bird droppings (which get very purple).  Now, however, I make it a point to go down to the garden on sunny mornings and watch the birds coming and going (with camera of course).  Across from the Mulberry tree is a very large wild cherry (Prunus avium) which is also ripening at this point.

Juvenile Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) sampling the wild cherries

  The foliage on the cherry tree is much more dense so that it’s much harder to see the birds except when they are on the boundaries of the tree.  But together with the Mulberry they provide quite a draw for the birds.  My position is on a comfortable chair at the end of the garden looking southwest as the sun is coming up.  Up until about 10am I have wonderful view of the activities, but I try to get out there by 7am.  It gives me a chance to meditate about the start of the day.  While I watch the birds in the garden at other points in the year nothing is quite like the traffic coming to visit the mulberries and cherries on these June mornings.   I’ll add some of the pictures at the bottom of this post but just in one hour this morning I saw Cardinals, Blue Jays, Mockingbirds, Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, Eastern Bluebirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Wood Thrushes, Catbirds, Sparrows, Grackles, Cedar Waxwings, Goldfinches, Swallows, House Finches, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Chickadees.

Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius)

Female Bluebird (Sialia sialis)

Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)

Red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)