I froze a lot of berries off a mountain ash, I was saving then for around January. As it is cold here now and things are freezing up, I brought a few out. I tie them to a branch fastened to a bit of trellis on the deck. Robins come for them so I take a few pics. This one has one in its beak. ( photo / image / picture from Kildale's Garden )
It's great to know I have a kindred spirit out there Kildale. I do exactly the same with berries from the shrubs I have in my garden. Every autumn I collect and freeze them for my little feathered friends. They certainly appreciate them, just like your robin does, when everything is frozen and they can't find much food for themselves.
Robins are my favorites... they don't stay around here in winter. They must go to your house Kildale! You're very kind.
Thank you for the messages. I have a lot of fun putting them out with the robin just waiting close by.
What a great idea. Call me a dumb blonde...but I have never thought of doing that. However, I have made lots of fat cakes filled with mealworms and seeds to hang all around the garden and have them in the shrubs as well as the tree and bird table.
just wondering. what is the point? leaving the berries on the shrubs or taking them in and taking them out later on... they end up in birds' bellies anyway! really JUST wondering... anyway... great idea. don't really know any people around here who would have this idea!
The reason is simple, starlings, robins etc clean the tree off in a couple of weeks and by the end of Oct. the trees berries are gone. Normally I don't put them out till Jan. when there is nothi8ng around that I can see for them to eat. Its also fun watching them sneak in to pinch the berries and to watch them waiting for you to go in.
I think that is a brilliant idea, Kildale. Like EJ I never thought of that. We haven't got a lot of mountain ash around us but we do have lots of Sambucus nigra. The only problem is I'll probably get in a fight with my husband over the berries. He likes to make wine from them. Maybe I'll just keep to the different types of seeds and the fatty treats we serve our feathered friends.
