We have two large Pecan trees growing on the north side of the house, the largest one hangs over the house. It's been probably 5-6 years since we had any edible Pecans but this year we have had a bumper crop, so many that I just can't keep up with picking them up and shelling them so quite a few just sit on the ground for the squirrels and occasional bird. They started naturally falling to the ground from about mid-September through November and for weeks there was an almost constant barrage of nuts hitting the roof, rolling down the roof and plunking onto the top or hood of whichever car was parked at the head of the driveway. Then around the last of November they stopped falling off even though once the leaves had all fallen you could see hundreds of partially open husks up there just waiting. It was eerily quite for several days. Then I started hearing once, sometimes twice, a day nuts falling, rolling and hitting the cars. It would last a few minutes then silence until later in the day or the next day. After a couple of days of this I went outside to see what was causing it and found the tree filled with Grackles, Red Wing blackbirds, Starlings and Doves...all hopping from branch to branch pecking at the nuts to make them fall. When they got what they deemed to be enough on the ground, they landed en masse, started cracking the shells and pecking out the nut meat. Both cars were out of the driveway last Saturday so I stood at the front door and watched about 2 dozen assorted birds feasting on the nuts they had just knocked out of the tree. They have all had their fill for this morning and will most likely be back later this afternoon. I have tried to take a photo of them in the tree but they get spooked too easily. But now I know why they aren't swarming the feeders this fall as they usually do.
Perhaps they found another Pecan tree to 'raid'. I have been watching Robins in a holly bush grabbing berries. As many as 12 Robins move about the bush. Often only the bush movement gives away their presence. Jerry
There are a few pecan trees in the neighborhood, they very well could be making the rounds of them all every day. We have a really large Fig tree out back, we tried eating them when it first started producing and found we don't like them. But every summer I know when they are ripe because the tree starts swaying and all sorts of bird noises are coming from it. They pick it clean of the ripe ones and then repeat the feasting every few days as the rest of the Figs ripen.
It must be some sight seeing all those different birds feasting on the pecans. Neither wonder they're ignoring the feeders when there is so much for them to pick themselves. Our birds love the cotoneaster, holly and pyracantha berries I have in the garden, as well as the rosehips, at this time of year.
