Red-tail and Cork Berries: Nov. 14, 2022

At exactly 10am, as 17 of us were about to depart for this morning’s walk at the Scarborough Bluffs, a Red-tailed Hawk landed a few metres from us and we all had a good look before it flew off to a more distant perch.

Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk

Other birds:

Canada Geese
Red-breasted Mergansers
Downy Woodpecker (male)
Canada Geese
Northern Cardinal (male)
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco (male)

The Amur Cork Tree from Asia is often planted as an ornamental species. This is not the tree which produces cork for wine bottles. That, in fact, is a species of oak. The Amur Cork does have many juicy dark-coloured berries which are a big favourite for birds.

Amur Cork Tree (Phellodendron amurense)
Amur Cork Tree (Phellodendron amurense)
Amur Cork Tree (Phellodendron amurense)
Amur Cork Tree (Phellodendron amurense)
Amur Cork Tree (Phellodendron amurense)

Other botany:

Red-osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea)
Red Ash (Fraxinus pensylvanica)
Red Ash flower galls
Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
Yellow Avens (Geum aleppicum)
Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo)
Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadense)
Panicled Aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum)
Red Ash (Fraxinus pensylvanica)
Red-osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea)
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Today’s group:

MAILBOX

Here’s some fall Goldenrod – flowering on November 13!

NATURE POETRY

The hollow winds begin to blow,  
The clouds look black, the glass is low;  
The soot falls down, the spaniels sleep,  
And spiders from their cobwebs peep.    – Dr. Edward Jenner (1749–1823)

Miles Hearn

1 thought on “Red-tail and Cork Berries: Nov. 14, 2022

  1. Gloria James

    Thank you for the beautiful photos of the red tail hawk. I’ve only seen them in flight and at a distance.
    I always thought that cork trees only grew in semi tropical areas.

    Reply

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