Thursday, May 7, 2009

Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker Into Native Blueberry Field










The photos of the woodpecker in the top two frames were taken about a month ago, when the moon was about at the same phase, at least I think so without looking it up, as it has been cloudy and raining for a few days. These little guys are always drilling holes into my trees to sip the sap. I read they are important to the community of woodpeckers, as others kinds of woodpeckers can also indulge... not sure how I feel about it however. So far no harm done to the smaller trees and the line of holes add a bit of character to the trunks. Our blueberry field is a labor of love, as it was once part of the forest with rather large pines that covered the views. It was a very difficult decision to make and heart wrenching to cut down those beautiful pines. Once the fields were open, offering a more diverse habitat, the native blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) began to sprout, and after years of keeping them free of young saplings and vines, they are producing a bounty of blueberries for a variety of wildlife and humans to enjoy. They are also beautiful shrubs offering lovely structure, color and song bird nesting sites to the landscape. The fruit is smaller than cultivars but to my taste more delicious. We now have about one hundred bushes growing in varying stages and continue to encourage this natural growth along the southeast slope of our hillside.
Related Posts with Thumbnails