A SUBTLE CHANGE IN NATURE

     Several years ago, we planted a pyracantha, or firethorn, bush and a beautyberry bush on our back lawn in New Holland, Pennsylvania.  But those shrubs never did as well as they could have because they were shaded by two large Norway spruce trees in a neighbor's yard.  

     However, in the summer of 2023, those two spruce trees were cut down and removed, allowing more sunlight to reach the ground, and those two shrubs.  During the spring and summer of 2024, that firethorn and the beautyberry grew larger, produced many more flowers, to the delight of certain tiny insects, and, of course, produced many more berries than ever before.  And by mid-September, the firethorn had multitudes of striking, bright-orange berries and the beautyberry had many more delightfully-lovely, light-purple ones.  All those berries in one spot were a joy to experience.

      Nature everywhere is always dynamic, always changing, to the detriment of some life, but to the benefit of other life.  The removal of those two spruces certainly benefitted the pyracantha and beautyberry shrubs for many years to come.  And those bushes in that newfound sunlight will benefit more insects that feed on nectar and pollen in their blossoms, and more mice, squirrels and berry-eating birds that will eat their resulting berries during autumn and winter.  

     Already in September, two northern mockingbirds that were never in our suburban lawn before, suddenly showed up in the firethorn bush.  I identified them by the white patches on their gray wings and tails.  And being mockingbirds, they had to chase each other out of that ample food supply.  By October, only one mocker was feeding on the beautifully-orange pyracantha berries.

     But by that time, I was seeing a few each of American robins and cedar waxwings occasionally ingesting some of those firethorn berries.  And, it seemed that house sparrows were also trying to eat some of those lovely berries.

     Starlings and other kinds of birds, including eastern bluebirds, might show up to consume some of the many pretty berries of firethorn and beautyberry shrubs this coming winter, in spite of a possibly pugnacious mockingbird.  I eagerly await their arrival.    

     Mockers have been known to chase other kinds of birds out of "their" collections of berries, but I haven't seen this one do that, yet.  Perhaps it will in winter.

     Our two bushes have beauties in themselves, and in the lovely birds that come to feed on their striking berries through winter.  Nature is always changing, and it is often beautiful and inspiring.    

     





 orange berrries.              

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