There are only two pair now, but there were four males present just before I snapped this pic.
What a sight! The cardinals are enjoying vitex seeds. This is a good reason not to snip off the seed heads at the end of the growing season. Beats the heck out of buying seed.
That is so pretty, and those bushes sure make a lot of seed, it is nice to know that the birds make good use of it.
Josephine.
Well, this is a day for critters. Spotted four robust deer while walking through the Native Plant Center @ SFA in Nacogdoches. Another lady walking the trails told me a bobcat lives there too. My son, a freshman student who lives on campus of SFA , told me the city kids are amazed by the wildlife that cruises the campus.
Walked the Ruby Mize Azelea Gardens and some camillas are blooming. A hybrid, whose name includes 'Front Gate' was a white formal double that looks like the 'Alba Plena'
When the cardinals perch on the bare tree branches it looks so cheerful... just like the trees are dressed for Christmas. Very pretty photo.
Early last week, I discovered they love Fuyu persimmons. Last year I harvested all my persimmons just before the first frost, but decided the persimmon season would last longer if I picked only what we'd use in a day or two. So once they started to ripen, I'd pick a few every other day or so, but I've had a flock of cardinals and a few sparrows hovering around my tree for two weeks now and every persimmon on the tree has large holes punched in them. Too much damage to salvage for human consumption so I'll let the birds continue their feast. Later I'll have to prune the remains off before mold develops and causes a problem. Sigh! I didn't mind sharing my peaches with our local wildlife, but persimmons are my favorite. I would have liked to have eaten a few more.
A persimmon is an absolute must to have here. Problem is, if it's not on my list when looking for plants, I forget!
I love those trees. There was a stunning persimmon in the Pecan Orchard neighborhood in Nacogdoches that was a landmark for some of us. I used to see it when I'd drive around there picking up bagged mulch. I haven't been able to do that this year and have heard the tree was cut down.
