Hungry, Little Birds

   If the plight of the yaupons around the Bayou is any indication of the trees elsewhere, there are going to be some hungry, little birds come this winter.  Usually, you can depend on the wild yaupons to be heavy with berries come this time of year and the birds can depend on having a grand feast when the weather turns cold.  This year, however, the yaupon berries are scant with some shrubs having nary a fruit.  I found one small tree with berries out of the hundreds of trees on the property. The birds will have to look to other means for survival as that one tree will not suffice.

  While the yaupon berries are not fit for human consumption there are many birds that flock to the (usually) heavy laden trees.  One of my favorite times was spent watching an entire flock of cedar waxwings strip, not only the yaupons but the nadinas, as well.  Hundreds of the birds flew in, stripped the trees of berries then continued on their migration.  It was a sight to behold.  I guess this winter, the birds will have to be happy with birdseed that I put out for them.  Or...they will go hungry.  It may be a hard season for many critters due to the lack of berries but also due to the fact that almost every piece of property around us has been clear-cut.  The entire area is devoid of the trees that normally feed critters throughout the winter.  Besides the yaupons, oak trees, pine trees, pecan trees, holly trees and wild persimmon trees have been stripped from the ground.  Humans are pushing the critters out of their homes in record numbers.  It saddens me.  Poor, little critters.

Yet Another Weather Forecaster!

   There are all sorts of pieces of folklore concerning the weather.  One says that the color of the sky can predict the day's weather.  One says that the thickness of the red band on a woolly bear caterpillar tells you how cold a winter is.  Another claims that the migration of fiddler crabs can foretell a hurricane's landfall and strength.  Many others deal with drought, winter's cold, depth of snow, arrival of spring and even if rain will fall within an hour.  Just about any oddity of nature has its own tale and ties to weather.  

  This afternoon, I made a quick hike around the property.  At the bend of the path near the wild persimmon trees (and therein is another winter forecast), I noticed that the Yaupon Trees were loaded with berries.  These are the wild type that grow where they may on our hillside.  While the berries are toxic, I use the leaves in tisanes so it pays for me to leave them be.  It was those berries that took me aback, however.  In the past, the berries have not ripened until late October or even into November but here were some bright red berries. Why so early this year?  I pondered the matter and decided that there had to be some tale attached to the occurrence.

  Sure enough, when I checked "folklore about yaupon", several tales came up.  Some were tied to the toxicity of the berries and did not interest me but one did pertain to the weather.  "If Yaupon berries ripen early, it is a sign that winter will soon follow and be abnormally harsh."  Well, now!  "Abnormally harsh"...does not sound right for this far south but perhaps we are due for a winter.  Honestly, we have not had one in several years.  

  I mulled over the fact about the berries then thought of the rats that I have been battling in the greenhouse.  Why have they moved indoors and why the extreme hoarding of seeds and bedding?  The woodpeckers and squirrels have been busy, too. Mama Squirrel has added extra padding to her nest and has been pulling hickory nuts and acorns to add beneath the lining. She is going to be set for winter.  The woodpeckers have been stashing acorns in crevices of tree bark and between the slats of the garden fence. They, too, are ready to ride out some lean times.  Maybe Son and I should start gathering firewood for the old wood-burning stoves.  We have plenty of foodstuffs to tide us over if the roads get icy but heating during excessive cold depends on our woodpile.  Yep, it may be time to start laying in a stock of firewood. If we believe the berries and the attached folklore and, if, we believe the critters and their habits, perhaps we should be doing the same..  Hmmm...think I better go grab a few of the remaining persimmon seeds and see what the seeds have to say.   Those things have not been wrong yet!

A Bit Of Red On A Gray Day

  While my mood has not lifted, I am going through the motions of the holidays.  The Little Bayou House is as decorated as it is going to get, hundreds of cookies have been baked and the few gifts wrapped.  It is going to be a very....very....quiet Christmas here on the Bayou this year.  Family members all have other plans so Santa will not be filling stockings at our mantel this year.  Instead, the time may be spent thinking of how to go about improving myself a bit.  I might as well get a jump on those New Year's resolutions!

  The weather, however, is a different story.  Most folks would say differently as we have had a cold, drizzly rain for the past two days.  Personally, it made me feel better.  Hearing the rain pelt the rooftop made me stop and smile at least a dozen times today.  If it could rain every day this week, perhaps my disposition would improve.  No one has ever claimed that I have a "sunny disposition" anyway so I might as well go for it!  Gray suits me fine.

  Early this morning, I braved the drizzle to go check on the small skiff moored at the pier.  There were a few ducks out in the middle of the Bay but none close enough to photograph.  Even my sweet little marsh rail was laying low and could not be found. Perhaps she had taken shelter beneath the heavy marsh mats and was keeping snug.  There was nothing interesting to be found so I made my way back up the pier.  Then!  A bright splash of red made me think of the Season being celebrated.  A small Yaupon tree grows at the foot of the pier and its berries were finally ripe.  The berries were dripping with water droplets from the mist causing them to look as if they were wearing jewels.  I was tempted to snap off a few branches to add to the pine boughs in the entryway but decided against it.  The berries were better suited as food for the cedar waxwings that should be on their way to the Bayou.

  ~As an added note, Yaupon berries are toxic and should not be eaten.  Using the berries as seasonal decorations should be done with care if you have small children or pets in your house.  The berries have a tendency to drop rather quickly and can be a temptation due to their bright hue.  

Mother Nature's Red, Red, Rubies!

  Have you ever noticed that being in the right place at the right time can afford you some pretty remarkable sights?  Take, for instance, this evening my sweet sister-in-law called me to check out the gorgeous triple rainbow.  Well, being as she is on one side of the Bay and I on the other, I could not see that rainbow.  I figured it was for the viewing pleasure of the folks over that way.  I was not disappointed, however, since it gave her some much needed enjoyment.  

  The other morning, I was out hiking just at sunrise.  The path I chose took me right along the marsh edge under the large oak trees.  Just as I was making a turn to head toward the creek, a bright bit of glittery red caught my eye.  Mother Nature had left her jewelry dangling on a shrub in the marsh.  The beads had evidently been there all night since they were covered with dew.  The sunbeams coming up over the pines caught the prism-like dewdrops and made the beads glisten at their brightest.  Thank you, Mother Nature for leaving your precious jewels out so I could catch a quick glimpse of them!

  The beads were none other than the bright red berries of the yaupon tree.  Right now, they are about the only thing of brilliant color left on the marsh.  The yaupon trees do not mind their roots being in the brackish waters.  They set thousands of berries that will eventually be feasted upon by the cedar waxwings that come to visit the area.  In a matter of hours, every berry in the marsh, creek and on the hillside will be eaten.  The hungry birds will fill their bellies after a long migratory flight.  They come here in search of food and will not be disappointed.  Mother Nature provides for all....food for the birds and beauty for my viewing pleasure.

Yaupon Berries and Memories

  While most of the country is enjoying the seasonal change with cooler weather and lots of fall foliage, here, we are just happy with the occasional northerly breeze.  That surely means fall is in the air!  In the Deep South, it is rare to get much of a colorful foliage change.  Things stay green.  The weather does not play well and our leaf change usually occurs during winter if at all.  That does not mean we do not have some bits here and there but rather that we have to search for it.  

  This afternoon, the old dog and I took a leisurely stroll about the hillside.  His walking goes along at a snail's pace so it gives me plenty of time to look at things.  Once I find something interesting, Mr. PJ is just as happy to sit for a spell as I photograph it.  This afternoon's find was the bright red berries of the yaupon.  These medium sized shrubs dot the marsh, woods and even the yard as I let them grow where they may.  I am not meticulous about how organized the yard is, so if something chooses to sprout up and it is pretty, it stays.  Simple as that.  I do think the yaupons are pretty.  This time of year, the berries turn bright red.  They stay this way until midwinter when the cedar waxwings come flying in to search for food.  Then the small trees are stripped of every berry.  This gives the migrating birds some much needed nutrition but takes away from my yard decorations!  My sights then turn from admiring the berries to admiring the birds that have come to feed.  

  Seeing the yaupon berries, this afternoon, brought a childhood memory to mind. Back in the day, Pop used to cut many branches of the yaupon berries to use for decorations.  Mom would put the long stalks in two large buckets filled with water.  These would flank the doorway on the screened porch.  Other branches would adorn the mantles for Thanksgiving and carry over into the Christmas season.  Occasionally, the berries would start to drop so Pop would simply cut more.  We used the yaupon berries far more often than holly.  The holly was saved to fill the bronze vases out at the cemetery.  When I was just a tyke, I would go with Pop to honor the folks who had passed so many years before. The grave sites of family members, longtime friends and even some forgotten folks were bedecked with the holly berries and cedar branches each holiday season.  I often wonder if the grave sites have been adorned since Pop passed.  I know I have neglected them...sad to say.  It seems as if that custom, too, has gone the wayside.

Mother Nature Decorates The Bayou

    Mother Nature is putting on a show for us here on the Bayou.  While I pretty much allow her decorate with wild abandon, I have to admit that most of the time, she is spot on with her decor choices.  It is my nature to allow brush and bramble to overrule the need for a prim and proper lawn.  Lawns need mowing and trimming and do nothing in return for me.  Letting Mother Nature have her way with the bulk of the property has proved beneficial in so many ways.  Near the creek, there is a spot that has wild water hyssop growing.  Down near the pier, there is a palmetto that produces mass amounts of dates.  Beyond the old oak trees and near the marsh edge, a grove of wild persimmon trees brighten my day with their easy snack of tiny fruit.  Wild blackberries, dewberries, huckleberries abound in the woods beyond the canebrake. 

 With all of this natural goodness, there are a few things that perhaps are better left to fill the bellies of the critters.  One of the most beautiful shrubs that grows wild here is the yaupon holly.  It has some of the brightest red berries ever to be on display by a plant.  The berries are not only candy-apple red, they have a translucent quality that almost makes them glow!  When the sunlight hits them just so, the berries have the appearance of tiny red lights.  While these berries are not actually toxic enough to kill you, they can make you get a really BAD tummy ache.  Their name Ilex Vomitoria should be warning enough!  However, birds adore them!  Each year, I enjoy the berries during the Christmas Season but then the Cedar Waxwings fly in to make short work of our berries.

  The yaupon, being a native plant, is a great shrub to add to the yard if you do not already have one. Kept trimmed, the bush makes a showy addition to the landscaping if that is your thing.  Personally, (like I said earlier), I leave mine to grow with wild abandon.  The long willow-like branches are perfect to twine into garlands and wreathes. Tomorrow, such a garland will be created and added to the decorations on the Little Bayou House.  A simple grapevine wreath or garland with a few twigs of yaupon will add a festive touch to the place....and the birds will love me!

A Reminder

  I have written several times about the Yaupon berries that are decorating the Bayou this year.  It seems to have been a good year for most fruits even those that are not considered edible to humans.  The Yaupons fall in that category...nonedible for humans.  Birds, however, love them.  So much so that in a few weeks, nary a berry will be found on the shrubs.  That said, this is not so much about the berries...edible or not..but rather about the sunshine that made the berries bright and beautiful this morning.  

  After days of torrential rains (perhaps up to ten inches according to my gauges), the sun looked mighty good to most everyone...me included even though I am one that loves a good storm.  After moping about the house doing drudgery, I was delighted to be able to tromp around on the wet leaves.  A soggy day outside is far better than a week of housework..ANYTIME!  

  Mark and I started out with the usual trek to the pier then slipped around the back of the Bayou to check for the ill-fated loon with the fishing lure embedded in its bill.  My gut feeling is that the poor bird has suffered greatly and probably has met its demise due to some irresponsible fisherman.  Treble hooks are nothing but trouble which makes me abhor the things. With the sadness welling up in me over the fate of the poor bird, finding the bright berries helped to lighten the mood. A single ray of sunshine beamed down through the tree branches to spotlight the thick cluster of berries.  They glowed like little beacons in the dismal, soggy leaves.  Sometimes it takes nothing more than a thing of beauty to convince one that the world is still a good place to be and that the Bayou is the best place to be.  Blessings abound here.        

Its a Regular Fruit Compote Out There!

  Darling Daughter and I took a hike about the hillside the other day as we searched for an injured loon.  My son and husband had seen the poor bird flopping about in the water but, try as they might, they could not catch the bird.  They did, however, get a good eyeful of what was bothering the bird.  Someone had evidently lost a fishing lure and the bird thought it was a tasty treat.  The lure was lodged not only in the loon's bill but also in its shoulder.  This left the bird most helpless so we were all searching and hoping to help it.  When we edged near the east most side of the shore, we did not find the poor injured bird but she spied a bunch of berries dangling from a long vine.  "What are those berries?" she asked.  Well, memory failed me at the moment but after a bit, I recalled the name.  The smilax vine was loaded with huge balls of black berries!  As I photographed the smilax vine, she queried about the red berries that were growing right next to the smilax.  "I remember these berries growing all over the place but never knew the name."  That I knew right off...yaupon!  The yaupon berries were showing their brightest red of the season.

  While there is a thought that the smilax berries could be edible (I have heard this but have not tried them.), it is common knowledge that you better not try the yaupon berries.  Those will definitely cause problems in the way of severe vomiting.  Birds, however, seem not to have a problem with either and will soon strip both the smilax vine and the yaupon shrub of their fruit.  It is about time for the cedar waxwings to visit the Bayou.  Once they arrive, our compote of black and red berries (along with any other berry in view!) will disappear in a matter of minutes.  I am good with that.

  Our search for the loon was in vain, though, which makes me sad, indeed.  I have called my cousin, Michelle, in on the quest and she has been searching the marsh line over her way.  Hopefully, someone will spy the bird and be able to catch it.  There is not much hope for its survival with the hooks embedded as they are.  The poor bird cannot fly, swim or eat.  If not helped, the loon will die a slow, painful death.  This is why I abhor lures with double treble hooks.  Folks, please be careful out there...wildlife depends on us to use a bit of commonsense now and again.      

                           

Lots of Berries

  While out and about the hillside today, I found more yaupon trees with their show-stopping displays of red berries than ever before.  It seems that birds munching the berries are inadvertently planting the seeds all over the hill!  Not that I mind, since I find the bright red berries rather attractive.   I am quite sure that given a few more weeks, nary a crimson berry shall be found.  The cedar waxwings will fly to the area and make quick work of my lovely berries!  Those birds can strip a tree in a matter of minutes!

  Holly has always been synonymous with Christmas and the entire holiday season.  The bright red berries and dark green leaves seem to lend themselves to the season and all its trappings.  We are most accustomed to seeing the American Holly or English Holly among the decorations but it is not to far-fetched to find Yaupon Holly adorning wreathes or garlands especially down south.  In the Deep South, yaupons grow rampantly in woods, on the sides of roads and in any fence lines that are not regularly cleared. Here on the Bayou, the small shrubs even grow right in the marshy areas.   Since all holly trees are dioecious, not all trees bear berries.  Yaupon trees are the same.  Only the female trees will be highly decorated come late fall.  The male trees simply stay green.  It is that bit of information that sparked a memory from long ago.

    A sweet little lady told me a tale about using yaupon to decorate a home for the holidays.  Ms. Dot related that if male yaupon branches were entwined about a wreath for the doorway, the coming year would find the man of the house making all major decisions.   He would "rule the roost".   If female yaupon was used because of the pretty berries, the wife would have the ruling hand for the coming year.  She always told me to use lots of berries!  It is funny how something so common as the use of a pretty branch can have a sneaky legend attached!  I wonder just how many husbands would ban holly berries of any kind from the house if this legend were proven to be true!    Personally, I love to leave the yaupon berries on the tree.  Having the cedar waxwings visit is enough incentive for me to let the berries stay where they grew.

The Feast of Berries!

Whoosh! Something passed over our heads as Mark and I were out refilling the bird feeders. The heavy fog layer almost blocked out any view of what flew just feet above us. I looked up to see a flock of birds doing loops and curves in and amongst the trees. Swallows! I knew that there was a flock of Tree Swallows around somewhere and I was nearly certain that this was them. They were probably a bit disoriented with the thick fog and had veered off their usual flight pattern over the Bay. I watched as they lit into the Black Gum Tree. Then these birds did something that was far out of character for Tree Swallows..they started stripping the tree of its remaining berries.

Flock of Cedar Waxwings in the Black Gum Tree. The heavy fog makes them hard to identify!

Ahhh! These were not Tree Swallows at all! Even though the fog obscured any recognizable traits, the eating habits of the birds told me without a doubt that these were Cedar Waxwings! This flock had swooped in to denude the yard and Bayou area of any remaining berries. Their high-pitched calls soon filled the yard and I knew that by mid-afternoon..no berries would be found.

Berries of the Yaupon Tree..a favorite meal of the Cedar Waxwings.

Sure enough, later in the day, the Cedar Waxwings had just about finished off all of the Yaupon berries and had even attacked the Nandina bushes. Both of these were filled with the shiny red berries but now were sort of drab-looking. Not that I minded..grant you, I would always give up these and the holly berries so the Waxwings could have a good meal. I only wish their timing had been a bit better..the fog left photographs in want. I am hoping that tomorrow the birds will still be hanging around and a few clear pictures can be obtained. They are only here with their Winter migration and will be gone from the area as soon as the food supply is depleted. Since berries and fruit make up most of their diet, once an area has been gleaned, they move on to find new sources.

Nandina Berries..another treat for the Cedar Waxwings.

This is an inspiration for me to plant more of the Yaupon Bushes and Holly Trees. Perhaps if the dinner table is set with more inviting dishes, the Cedar Waxwings will stay a bit longer. At least neither of these are fruits that are destined for jellies and jams for my shelves! Feast on..bird friends..feast on..fill your tummies!