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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

{Robins Stripped our American Holly - Ilex Opaca}

Usually we manage to keep the berries on our American Holly Ilex Opaca tree till February when flocks of Cedar Waxwings come and strip the entire tree in a couple of days. But this year things went different and quite unexpected. On Thursday I did make photos from our heavy Holly berry crop. On Saturday, hundreds of Robins did land in our American Holly tree and feasted on the thick berries. Sunday at breakfast time I noticed the tree was BARE. It is very hard to capture those birds on camera, while they keep flying and landing and eating... We've tried that with the Cedar Waxwings before but they move constantly. Below post you find a link to a Youtube video with Robins in action.
So I can only show you the yield before and the bare tree after the invasion.
Well, what would we do if we were a bird? 
Probably feast on them too!
This tree is at the corner of our Veranda, you can see the top of the house behind it.
They were great for Christmas time and almost all of January...
The tree in the back ground is our Live Oak tree so from our Veranda window we at least see year round GREEN!
There already were lots of spills from the 'Bird Cafetaria'... The ground is covered with them.
Love the Kidney Weed or Dichondra Repens that is growing instead of grass, as that too is evergreen!
BARE, except for that one on the left... 
We never had this American Holly tree stripped that early.
IF the Cedar Waxwings do come; they will cry!
Do you have such an American Holly tree, still loaded with berries in your yard?

Related link:
American Holly (Ilex opaca)
at

14 comments:

  1. TexWisGirlJanuary 29, 2013 at 7:03 PM

    that's awesome! glad they could dine on berries - means they couldn't find enough insects. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnnaJanuary 30, 2013 at 12:43 AM

    Wow che bello il tuo Agrifoglio, che cascata ti meravigliose bacche per gli uccellini!
    Cara Mariette, io ed Alessandra ti mandiamo un abbraccio colmo di affetto!
    Anna

    ReplyDelete
  3. ClaudiaJanuary 30, 2013 at 2:06 AM

    Dearest Mariette,
    what a wonderful tree! We do not have susch a tree in the garden :O(
    Wishing you a wonderful day,
    take care,
    Love and hugs
    Claudia

    ReplyDelete
  4. loryJanuary 30, 2013 at 4:09 AM

    ciao cara Mariette, ti abbraccio forte forte Lory

    ReplyDelete
  5. Elisabeth PalzkillJanuary 30, 2013 at 7:30 AM

    Liebe Mariette,

    dein Blog ist eine Schatztruhe.

    In Liebe

    Elisabeth

    ReplyDelete
  6. GerJanuary 30, 2013 at 8:10 AM

    Lieve Mariette,

    Waren het sprinkhanen geweest zou je van een plaag kunnen spreken....
    nu waren het gelukkig enkel de vogels in grote getalen die hun buikje vol kwamen eten.

    Pestvogels worden ook in Nederland vooral aangetroffen op besdragende struiken. Alllerhande soorten zijn veel aangeplant door de gemeentelijke groenvoorziening in parken en overhoeken in de bebouwde kom. Daar zijn pestvogels dan ook geregeld waar te nemen in invasiejaren. Al met al een totaal andere omgeving dan de noordelijke sparrenbossen waar de pestvogel broedt.
    Wanneer je eenmaal dat fotogenieke vogeltje gespot hebt vergeet je hem nooit meer.

    Fijne dag en lieve groeten!!
    Ger

    ReplyDelete
  7. kleine-creative-WeltJanuary 30, 2013 at 8:15 AM

    Liebe Mariette,
    herrlich sehen die roten Beeren aus - besonders um die Weihnachtszeit sind sie so schön anzusehen - die Vögelchen erfreuen sich dann später daran -

    ich hab es gerne, wenn der Garten voll von den süßen Piepmätzen ist

    liebe Grüße- Ruth

    ReplyDelete
  8. DIMIJanuary 30, 2013 at 8:17 AM

    Dear Mariette,very beautiful tree!No we dont have that tree here in Greece,i love those waxwing birds!!!Wishing you a lovely week!
    Dimi..

    ReplyDelete
  9. smartcatJanuary 30, 2013 at 9:22 AM

    Dearest Mariette,

    Your tree is so beautiful, even without it's berries. The waxwings will be miffed at the lack of berries when they arrive at your birdie cafe.

    Forty years ago we lived by the shore with a lot of cedar trees. One of the treats of late winter was the Cedar Waxwings arriving droves to feast on the cedar berries

    We are at the northernmost range of American Holly. I have two sport I've found in my woods. There must be a female around somewhere as they are self seeded and quite small. I have one large tree out in the woods but it's a male.

    Enjoy the day.......*S*

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dies und Das vom NeckarstrandJanuary 30, 2013 at 2:05 PM

    Liebe Marietta,
    wie immer - wunderschöne Fotos und tolle Txte.
    Ich hoffe, dass der Kommentar auch bei dir ankommt.
    Liebe Grüße
    Irmi

    ReplyDelete
  11. AdyJanuary 30, 2013 at 4:39 PM

    che belle foto..buona serata, un bacio ady
    Look inside my dream

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hayu MaselliJanuary 30, 2013 at 5:06 PM

    Dearest Mariette,

    Amazing tree. I haven't this kind of tree and never seen it before, they grow only in US? perhaps there are another tree similar like that here. seems we have many kind of berries as well here.
    the waxwings should cried indeed founding your tree empty of berries;)
    have a good week
    hugs and love

    ReplyDelete
  13. Michiko JohnsonJanuary 30, 2013 at 5:44 PM

    Dearest Mariette,
    I always your trees and flowers but I never now as American Holly tree that is I remember this year from you...As you know my thinking of my herd ....
    As you said I noticed the tree was bare, we've tried they with the cadar wax wings before they move constantly.
    The Christmas time and almost until January.
    You has always enjoy with to see of spills from the Bird...
    I hope you will have all ways nice tree with you.
    Hugs and love to you always!
    Michiko

    ReplyDelete
  14. Jo-Anne's RamblingsJanuary 30, 2013 at 7:43 PM

    Love the tree very pretty with the berries on it and not to shabby without the berries........

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your visit and comment.

Mariette...