Festive Food

December 11, 2009 at 6:10 am · Filed under Uncategorized

Do you think the birds are saving the berries for Christmas?

Now I need to chase some dust, I’ll see you at 3pm.

13 Comments »

  1. Rhyleysgranny said,

    December 11, 2009 at 7:50 am

    I am a big feeder of the wee birds. It is odd they always leave those berries on the big cotoneasters until there is nothing else left. They mustn’t taste very nice. :) At the minute the blackbirds are making a great shaking and racketing in my orange glow pyracantha on either side of the dining room window. Pity it’s always the holly berries they go for first. Very inconsiderate.

  2. Grannymar said,

    December 11, 2009 at 9:36 am

    Rhyleysgranny,

    I have two cotoneasters in my garden laden with berries. The birds hardly touched them so far this year. They normally clear the one furthest from the house before touching the one in the picture. My holly bush never produces fruit…. perhaps it needs a mate!

  3. Maynard said,

    December 11, 2009 at 12:01 pm

    That’s right Grannymar, your holly, it takes 2 to “tangle”.
    Rather than being in the same room as humans, the hollies can be
    a house apart!
    Get back to your “dust”.

  4. Nancy said,

    December 11, 2009 at 1:45 pm

    Grannymar,

    You asked the proverbial question:

    “Do you think the birds are saving the berries for Christmas?”

    My Answer:

    “No, they are eating them by the peck and dropping a variety of colored poop all over my car.”

  5. Grannymar said,

    December 11, 2009 at 2:07 pm

    Maynard - There is a holly bush next door and it looks as barren as mine. :sad:

    Nancy - Natural outdoor decorations at no extra cost! :roll:

  6. Maynard said,

    December 11, 2009 at 2:26 pm

    Both of your hollies must be the same sex. I know this may be new to you , but it takes a female and and male to produce berries.
    Check out your holly, if the leaves are sticking straight out it is a male, if the leaves are flat it’s a female. The bees must have been fustrated also, looking for the opposite sex. Now dust the parlour!

  7. Grannymar said,

    December 11, 2009 at 2:42 pm

    Maynard - Sex! What is that all about. :roll: The leavers sure stand to attention with very sharp points facing upward!!

  8. Rummuser said,

    December 11, 2009 at 2:48 pm

    Only you and Maynard can take a post on hollies to such sublime levels. How very entertaining!

  9. Magpie11 said,

    December 11, 2009 at 3:07 pm

    here’s the rub about hollies: Silver Queen is male and golden king is female.

    There are some self fertile species and varieties of Ilex aquifolium that are self fertile. Funny really as I. aquifolium is also found in male and female varieties … I guess that the naming of species and hybrids must be up the creek somehow.

    Not of a religious nature I have to say that one of my favourite carols is The Holly Bears a Berry…. is it the tune or the similes that appeal? I don’t know.

  10. Rhyleysgranny said,

    December 11, 2009 at 3:14 pm

    Nancy, You should try giving them cranberries. I threw some out to the birds. The next thing my neighbour was giving off about bright red poo on her conservatory roof which just happened to be on the flight path from my bird table.. I am thinking of trying blueberries next :)

  11. Grannymar said,

    December 11, 2009 at 4:10 pm

    Ramana - It is all Maynard’s fault… I am innocent!

    Magpie - Perhaps the guys naming the hollies were already full of Christmas Spirit! :roll:

    Rhyleysgranny - I am selfish with the cranberries… I eat them all myself!

  12. Maynard said,

    December 11, 2009 at 10:13 pm

    As you descripted– definitely a male!
    The “sharp points” gave it away!

  13. Grannymar said,

    December 11, 2009 at 10:16 pm

    Maynard, You mean another sharp toyboy! ;)

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