question about mountain ash berries...birds?

[Jason Berard]

While on the Isolation Trail yesterday, Bob and I noticed several clusters of mountain ash berries wedged into spruce trees along the trail.

What creature is doing this and why??
Is it birds storing food for later? a particular type of bird?
some other critter?
other bored hikers playing a prank so I will ask a crazy question?

thanks in advance!

jason

 

[Puck]

While on the Isolation Trail yesterday, Bob and I noticed several clusters of mountain ash berries wedged into spruce trees along the trail.

What creature is doing this and why??
Is it birds storing food for later? a particular type of bird?
some other critter?
other bored hikers playing a prank so I will ask a crazy question?

thanks in advance!

jason

At what elevation did you see these caches?
I suspect that Gray Jays are the culprits. They spend most of thier time caching food. When you feed them on the trail they will swallow the food into thier crop where it gets coated with a substance like shelac. They then will cache this food in areas throughout thier territory. They lay eggs in late Feb and early March and depend on these caches to feed the nestlings.

Squirrels also hide food this way.

 

[Jason Berard]

I wondered if it might be Grey Jays...

we saw this on Engine Hill, and after the last Rocky Branch crossing, so that would be between 3200 and 3500 feet or so...we also saw boreal chickadees, and bohemian waxwings in the same general area.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Are you sure they weren't dried cranberries?





Tim

 

[Jason Berard]

I did wonder if you jokers were playing a prank....

 

[Tom Rankin]

I did wonder if you jokers were playing a prank....

You might find a few nuts up there too!

 

[Hobbitling]

If you ever see mushrooms hung like Christmas ornaments, it was probably red squirrels.

 

[sardog1]

Waxwings will pound any berries they find that are appropriately ripe/aged. And because they usually travel in groups, I doubt they'd trust their companions with any caches to be left in front of watchful eyes. My bet is on jays, which are often selfish and stealthy when they find something good while alone.

 

[bryan]

i've seen thrushes enjoying mountain ash berries. don't know if they are into stashing them for later though.

bryan

 

[erugs]

Several years ago, a friend of a friend considered himself a "Johnny Appleseed" of the mountain ash. He would grab handfulls of the berries and toss them off into the woods. (They probably need birds along to help break the berries and add "fertilizer," I'm guessing.) Anyway, that guy moved to Colorado, so he's not involved.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Several years ago, a friend of a friend considered himself a "Johnny Appleseed" of the mountain ash. He would grab handfulls of the berries and toss them off into the woods. (They probably need birds along to help break the berries and add "fertilizer," I'm guessing.) Anyway, that guy moved to Colorado, so he's not involved.

Would this be illegal in the WMNF? I'm pretty sure it is in NY wilderness areas, just curious....

 

[erugs]

I doubt he even thought about that. I didn't approve but didn't try to stop him. I just thought it was odd.