A feast of Mountain-Ash in the Town of Marathon

A bumper crop of Mountain-Ash, and to a lesser extent ornamental crab-apple, fruit has attracted thousands of Pine Grosbeak, Cedar Waxwing and Purple Finch to our community.

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In lieu of Mountain-ash...

After two heavy mast years, the abundant Mountain-ash along the north shore bore little fruit in 2010 and now virtually none remains on the trees. Our fruit-eating birds and mammals have depleted the more consistent wild crops of Red Osier Dogwood, Squashberry and Pin Cherry. We can expect that far fewer fruit-eating birds - American Robins, waxwings, Pine Grosbeaks et al. - will spend the winter in our area. Presently, the local crop of ornamental crabapple fruit is being rapidly consumed by European Starling, Pine Grosbeak, Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings, American Robin, Purple Finch and a (late) Gray Catbird.

[click on images to enlarge]

Gray Catbird (Oct 22)

Bohemian Waxwing (Oct 21)

Cedar Waxwings (Oct 28)

American Robin (Oct 22)

Pine Grosbeak (Nov 10)

Photo courtesy of Cheryl Vosburgh