Monday, October 7, 2013

Bear vs. Autumn Olive

These photos were taken in western Massachusetts by my sister.  Bear are an established presence in her area, and it looks like one of them decided to feast on the juicy autumn olive berries that are everywhere for the picking right now.  The scat found at the site was chock full of berry seeds.





4 comments:

  1. Great find, Susan. My first thought was a frustrated conservation biologist, but a bear could fit, too.

    I'm surprised your sister still has berries out there. The autumn olives near my yard have been picked clean (only a little of it by me)

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  2. Many of the trees in Stow still have full loads of berries. There's very little bitterness left, they are almost sweet.

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  3. Interesting. Once ours ripen, the cedar waxwings descend in a buzzing feeding frenzy, and strip most of the berries within a few days. I have to get out there as soon as I hear them, or I end up with nothing.

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  4. You must have Grade A berries in your yard, Janet. Except for what I've picked, the bushes in my back yard are still pretty full.

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