Over the last three weeks, my Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) berries have begun to flush with colour, a little suffusion of orange increasingly glowing across the dangling clusters. But when would they be ripe enough for wildlife?
Well, help arrived this weekend to let me know. And here she is (left) - my first berry tester of the season.
In fact, the berries look a little unripe to me, and don't seem to come away without the Blackbird making a bit of effort. I can fully imagine they are a little tart, but she seems happy to do the tugging necessary, and has now been joined by a male at the emerging feast.
What it will mean of course is that few berries will be left for later in the autumn, but I guess that's no reason to moan. I like to think that what it reveals is that my Rowan berries are top of the menu for these Blackbirds ahead of anything else that is available in their territory at the moment. I count this as a wildlife gardening success - only a little one, but I'm enjoying it :-)
Rowan is easy to grow in a sunny spot on most soils right across the country, so I'm sure many of you have this excellent wildlife tree in your garden. And of course what I'm interested to know is which birds are taking its berries elsewhere in the country right now. Have you anything to report from your garden?
Oh, and you know I like words? Well 'aucuparia' I understand is the Latin for 'birdcatching' - very apt!
The berries on one Rowan are still small and green while the other is just starting to turn. I had a good look this morning and nothing has started eating them yet. The trees are on the edge of my shrubbery where both Blackbirds and Thrushes spend a lot of the day so it’s only a matter of time.
The Jays and Magpies have begun to pinch the apples even though they are a long way from being ripe.