In February we spotted an American robin foraging on the vibrant red berries of sumac shrubs which were growing in a colony along the roadside. The fruit of the sumac lasts throughout the winter and provides sustenance to our feathered friends that spend the winter here.
… Growing at field edges and in waste
places, most of us don’t notice the ruby glow.
Bluebirds, robins, and squirrels
know better, plucking at the jeweled lights
to keep their own fires burning.
~David K. Leff
walking on a country road 
By this time of year, there is hardly a berry left!
Very true, Eliza. I saw the same shrubs recently and they were all brown and dried up.
nice video Rebecca! I wasn’t sure If one could eat Sumac berries? They are eatable but not the white sumac as they are poisonous.
Thanks, Wayne! They enjoy the berries of the Smooth Sumac which gives them a quick boost of energy when other foods are scarce in the winter.
That Robin has it made, all those treats for him/her only. I thought the Robin’s feathers in the still shots were moving as it shifted on the bush, but in the video it looked like it was very windy there as its feathers were going everywhere. I enjoyed the video Rebecca. I’ve seen the Sumac bushes at the Park on the other loop where I don’t often go (no “wildlife” there) so I’m going to walk there to see if there is still some left after our harsh Winter. It is very pretty in the late Summer/Fall.
[I hope you are faring well with your weather … it is build-an-ark weather out there now and storming until 12:15 a.m. and beyond, hopefully not severe once I go to bed.]
It was very windy on that day. I always have trouble photographing a swaying object. Tornadoes were near us last night with some hail. They are predicting about 8 inches of rain by Saturday night. This seem to be a pretty big weather system. Glad to know that I have a canoe out in my backyard just in case I need it. 🙂
It is difficult to photograph in the wind and these gusty winds are becoming an everyday occurrence anymore. That Robin did a good job hanging onto the Sumac bush. I was watching some of those tornadoes online last night and they were huge. I hope you don’t need the canoe Rebecca – eight inches of rain is quite the rainfall. I hope the rain fizzles out somewhat. We have had flash flooding in this area in the past on the expressway and people abandoned their vehicles and climbed up on the roof as they bobbed in the water. They were rescued by police in boats.
Beautiful photos and video.
Thank you! It was quite distracted by its treat. 🙂
Such a gorgeous American robin you’ve captured, Rebecca ~ thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thanks, Phil.
Beautiful video 📸 well shared 👏
Thanks so much, Priti.
🙏