Fall is the season for beautyberries (Callicarpa americana) and the clusters of bright purple berries are everywhere. I’m a big fan of beautyberries. First, they are really quite pretty, but more importantly, they feed a lot of wildlife. Today alone I saw eastern cardinals, grey catbirds, and American crows feasting on them. I’ve also had a female summer tanager hanging around for the past few days, and although I’ve not seen it, I’m sure she is eating some of them, too. As well as birds, the squirrels, deer, raccoons, and foxes eat them. Rabbits, mice, and other small rodents will pick up any that fall on the ground. This young female cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) had just finished eating quite a few of the berries (she wears the evidence all over her beak) and seemed to be full and very satisfied with herself. She reminded me of a young child who just finished off a nice sticky, well frosted piece of cake.