Do you have Robins invading your madrone trees? For the last couple of weeks Robins have been feasting on the abundant crop of madrone berries. It starts out in the morning with the sound of Robins chattering, flying in all directions, madrone berries falling to the ground and a few Robins flying into the windows, maybe a little intoxicated from the fermented pulp of the berries. My vehicles are covered in pulp. This afternoon I walked down the road with berries falling on me as Robins made their way from tree to tree. The hill side is covered with them, there must be thousands. By late afternoon they are gone. Where do they all go for the night to sleep it off?
A collection of stories from the life of Michael Burke. He worked for the Forest Service in Alaska, California, and Oregon. He lives in Oakland, OR. His wonderful wife, Celia, passed in May of 2021
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FOUR YEAR ANNIVERSARY
It is four years today when Celia left this word, something I think about every day. It is not all sorrow as I think back on her humor, w...
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It is four years today when Celia left this word, something I think about every day. It is not all sorrow as I think back on her humor, w...
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In my early days with the Forest Service we were called upon to fight fires with little choice in the matter, especially on our days off or ...
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We saw a few hundred robins in the pasture recently. It was shortly before dusk, and I figured they were all trying to get one last worm before night set in. Thanks for the info about madrone berries. I wonder why humans haven't yet perfected a sweet aromatic Umpqua Valley madrone wine for all of us to taste .... and experience a little of that same intoxication those birds do! Or perhaps you've already tried madrone wine?
ReplyDeleteOh yes, we have been enjoying the chirps of hundreds of robins along with cedar waxwings, and bluebirds, and ....
ReplyDeleteWe also have them by the hundreds. They have just about cleaned our madrones of berries. A friend told me she eats them. I tried them...pretty tasteless to me. Thankfully most of trees are away from house and barn so no messes here.
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