Berry Larder for the Birds.

As a follow up to my previous posts (Hunt for Thrushes & Finches and Autumn Shapes) I promised to share some of the bountiful larder of berries that await visits by our resident and winter migrant birds that will hopefully keep them well fed during the coming months in the gardens at RHS Wisley.

Sorbus terminalis

From Top Right (Clockwise)..Malus x Zumi 'Professor Sprenger', Sorbus species (L946), Sorbus Bellonia, Sorbus Brigitta, Sorbus wardii, and Sorbus Rose Queen. [Please click to enlarge]

Finally the leaves of a Tilia henryana var. subglabra. Imagine the leaf turned upside down and you will see the shape of this beautiful tree. FAB

Autumn Shapes at Wisley

During my hunt for the Thrushes and Finches I got sidetracked by the various forms and shapes of various plants around the Piet Ouldof borders. Piet is a dutch garden designer renowned for his very naturalistic 'prairie' planting schemes.
A lot of use is made of large drifts of grasses....

and perennials that produce excellent flowers followed by superb seed heads.

Behind the borders are shrubs such as this Cotinus with its luscious dark leaves....

and this Pterocarya fraxinifolia a native from Turkey, Iran and Caucasus, with its dangling dark bracts and leaves turning to pale lemon before adding themselves as a mulch around the tree.

On the edge of the Arboretum this glorious fruit (Malus) was hanging heavy with the early morning dew and just waiting to be picked.

In a forthcoming post I will share some of the other colourful fruits in this abundant larder. FAB

Hunt for Thrushes & Finches.

This morning I thought it was about time I took an early stroll into the gardens (RHS Wisley) before starting work to see if there were any new migrant Thrush or Finch visitors to be found. I started with a brief excursion onto Battleston Hill where in the understory of the old Oaks and Pines there a masses of colourful Maples.

The large seed feeder was being visited by Great & Blue Tits (but I only managed to snap the former), plus a brief flypast by a Nuthatch.
Robin and Dunnock were flitting through the low undergrowth while I enjoyed the sight of this very cheerful yellow Mahonia lomarifolia.
As I headed uphill towards the Fruit Fields and the Arboretum (Stage 2) Great Spotted Woodpecker called from overhead while a Song Thrush, Woodpigeons and the first Redwing was located high in one of the trees. A small flock of Greenfinches and a single Pied Wagtail also flew over shortly followed by a noisy gang of exotic green Rose-ringed Parakeets.

The Arboretum holds a large collection of Malus and Sorbus and it was pleasing to see the vast array of berries that will be food for our resident species and the winter migrants. Below is one example of Malus x Zumi 'Professor Sprenger' absolutely dripping with fruits.

A few Blackbirds were foraging through the trees and I gained some distant views of more Redwings and the first autumn sighting of a handful of Fieldfare again perched high in the tree tops together with a Mistle Thrush and a small flock of Starlings. There is a long line of Alders marking the boundary between the Fruit Fields and the Arboretum and it was here that I spotted a group of around 20 Siskin buisily feeding. They are very flighty and as I attempted to get closer they promptly moved further away. Using the bins I scanned all the Chaffinches but couldn't find any interlopers (e.g. Brambling). Other residents seen included Jays, Crow and Collared Doves.

I will need to find some time next week to make a further foray to check out any new visitors, but what I really need is a much bigger lens to be able to capture these wary birds from a distance...some hope in the current financial climate!

On my return journey via the Herb Garden I came across this large Bee artistically created from willow wands, one of many natural sculptures throughout the gardens.

I did however take some pics of the various food sources in the Arboretum larder and I will put a post together when I have more time. FAB.