During September and October I often drive the backroads of Minnesota looking for Mountain Ash, Crabapple and believe it or not … Buckthorn Trees. While these fruit trees may be devoid of birds in the Fall, I know these locations will “bare fruit” (sorry for the pun) both in the winter, and early Spring.

Today I found Pine Grosbeaks in a crabapple tree. A few days back it was Bohemian Waxwings gorging themselves on buckthorn berries. While the Minnesota DNR for understandable reasons despises buckthorns, fruit eating birds would beg to differ. Thus in the winter I check back at fruit trees, and in the Spring these same trees will attract birds with their blossoms (the blossoms of some fruit trees are edible, and the same blossoms attract bugs).

Both of these birds have been a somewhat difficult find this winter, which is why my Autumn pre-work is important.

Pine Grosbeaks

Bohemian Waxwings