On 14/10/2020 14:00, Ian Jackson wrote:
In message , Graeme
writes
In message , Andy Burns
writes
My holly bush is having a bumper year for berries, but the birds
don't seem to have noticed, have they all gone colour-blind?

Birds here are having a field day, attacking the windfall apples,
bright orange and red pyracantha berries and anything else they can find.

My large holly bush was once stripped bare of berries in a few minutes
when a flock of birds landed on it. [They were 'strangers' in these
parts, and I think they were just passing through. They were the size of
doves, but had red flashes on their wings. I'm not sure what they were.]

I'd suspect redwing (Turdus iliacus), but they're thrush size, not dove
size.

Some resident wood pigeons will suddenly decide to raid my red-berried
pyracantha - but not the one with orange berries.

On the other hand, the red berries on the cotoneaster (which keeps
springing up like weeds all over the place) seem to be left alone, even
in the coldest winters). I guess the birds do eat it (and hence spread
it) - but I never see them doing so. They certainly leave fallen berries
alone.

--
SRH