General Discussion

Omaha Steve

(99,653 posts) Thu Oct 9, 2014, 09:45 PM Oct 2014

Mother Nature provided a gift for our birds

It is no secret we feed the birds in our back yard. That and the DU are our big hobbies. Just on unsalted peanuts in the shell, we go through 4-6 pounds a week. The blue jays & woodpeckers show their appreciation for them.

The fire wood pile is a somewhat ignored part of the yard behind the shed. I knew we had new volunteer fruit bearing plants growing up. I went back to identify them tonight. We have a crop of elderberry : http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_sanic4.pdf

Those in the wood pile area will have to come down. Those on the other side of the fence (still on our property) will be allowed to grow. They are small trees that really grow when left alone.

I have no idea how we got a small wild crop to grow here. The turkeys are already nibbling at them. They are nutritious and medicinal. Look at the drug store next time your there.

Thanks Mother Nature. It also makes a good wine.

11 replies

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Mother Nature provided a gift for our birds (Original Post) Omaha Steve Oct 2014 OP

hey let me ask you Skittles Oct 2014 #1

They do the same thing here Omaha Steve Oct 2014 #5

sometimes if I am off schedule a blue jay will loudly screech a reminder Skittles Oct 2014 #8

Awesome! I loved the wild raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and cherries growing up. Dont call me Shirley Oct 2014 #2

Lovely! cwydro Oct 2014 #3

What neat little surprise! herding cats Oct 2014 #4

We had winter wheat once 25 or so years ago Omaha Steve Oct 2014 #7

Boil to syrup to avoid coughs and sore throats take a little every day lunasun Oct 2014 #6

It's the beeeeeeeest BrotherIvan Oct 2014 #11

Elderberries make the best pie. Sweet Freedom Oct 2014 #9

Drinkin' with the birdees shenmue Oct 2014 #10

Skittles

(153,164 posts)

1. hey let me ask you

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Thu Oct 9, 2014, 09:50 PM

Oct 2014

I too leave out unsalted roasted peanuts and am curious about the behavior of blue jays - when they pick up a nut and drop it and try a few others before flying off with one, are they grabbing the heaviest one? Also, they seem to scream loudly upon initially discovering a nut stash - are they alerting all their buddies?

Omaha Steve

(99,653 posts)

5. They do the same thing here

Reply to Skittles (Reply #1)

Thu Oct 9, 2014, 10:05 PM

Oct 2014

No idea why they pick over the peanuts the way they do.

We had a male that imitated a hawk sound for a couple weeks. Science believes it for a couple reasons. To warn of a hawk in the area. And to keep others away from it's food source. He stopped doing it about a week ago.

They know when we come out the door in the morning to feed them. They are helped by the racket the dogs make running out the door first thing. The blue jay racket starts right up. The turkeys nested in trees just down the hill in line of sight, so they come running up when we go out the door too. So does a lone female deer.

These small trees will replace some of the privacy trees (between the homes on the side of us) we lost to drought. The birds loved sitting in them during the day even though the forest is on the other side of the back fence: http://www.fontenelleforest.org/

OS

Skittles

(153,164 posts)

8. sometimes if I am off schedule a blue jay will loudly screech a reminder

Reply to Omaha Steve (Reply #5)

Thu Oct 9, 2014, 10:19 PM

Oct 2014

I also have a squirrel I have I call Chubby who will chatter loudly

hey, the other morning a mockingbird PERFECTLY imitated a coworker's CHIRP CHIRP sound when unlocking his truck doors

Dont call me Shirley

(10,998 posts)

2. Awesome! I loved the wild raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and cherries growing up.

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Thu Oct 9, 2014, 09:53 PM

Oct 2014

We have apricots only now, and only if we don't get a hard freeze after they bud.

Lucky you! Enjoy!

cwydro

(51,308 posts)

3. Lovely!

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Thu Oct 9, 2014, 09:57 PM

Oct 2014

Hey, Elton John had a song about that wine!

Too lazy to find a link, but it's easy to find. I think it was on the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album.

herding cats

(19,564 posts)

4. What neat little surprise!

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Thu Oct 9, 2014, 10:02 PM

Oct 2014

There's a good chance a bird "planted" the seed there which later grew up to become the fruit bearing plant. I love nature.

Omaha Steve

(99,653 posts)

7. We had winter wheat once 25 or so years ago

Reply to herding cats (Reply #4)

Thu Oct 9, 2014, 10:15 PM

Oct 2014

It was in a rock retaining wall. Same bird planted way.

This just seemed too wide an area to all show up at once this year. But with the rain we've had this year, everything is growing. Like the story in "The Illustrated Man" on the planet where it never stops raining.

Or the story "All Summer in a Day"

lunasun

(21,646 posts)

6. Boil to syrup to avoid coughs and sore throats take a little every day

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Thu Oct 9, 2014, 10:07 PM

Oct 2014

Add cloves or lemon zest
Or yes make wine!

BrotherIvan

(9,126 posts)

11. It's the beeeeeeeest

Reply to lunasun (Reply #6)

Fri Oct 10, 2014, 12:40 AM

Oct 2014

First onset of a flu or cold, chug a whole bunch of the syrup and it does not take hold. You can also make gummies out of it for kids. The taste is amazing. I always take some before going on a plane because that is a hotbed of nasties. We rarely get sick in this house but I still have some on hand just in case. I have not had the wine but would just love it.