There are a lot of birds, both residents and winter visitors, that really like the beautyberries that grow around here. They are a plant that I always let grow when it comes up. The flowers are really pretty and so are the berries that come after the flowers. More importantly, they feed a lot of wildlife. Over the past few weeks, I’ve featured several birds eating the berries. But they also help to feed raccoons, possums, deer, squirrels, and mice. Rabbits and gopher tortoises will also eat berries that fall on the ground. In fact, people also them, too. They’re especially good when cooked into a jam.

One morning when I was outside watching the birds, this little hermit thrush (Catharus guttatus) flew in and perched itself in a beautyberry bush near me. It gobbled down quite a few berries and then just stayed where it was. It would watch me, then slowly doze off. Then it would pop awake, eat another berry or two and doze off again. It stayed right there for quite a while alternately dozing and nibbling. Eventually it decided to move on and flew off into the woods. It was very enjoyable watching this bird being so relaxed even though it wasn’t very far from me. For my part, I tried to move as little as possible and move slowly when I did move so as not to scare the bird.