In the Apple Tree

In front of the house is an apple tree that we planted 45 years ago; it’s a full sized McIntosh, our favorite apple variety. Nowadays it’s hard to get full sized trees of any variety, commercial growers want smaller trees whose fruits can be picked from the ground. McIntosh trees don’t do well in warm climates and the fruit requires exacting conditions to keep well. But it’s a favorite in the northeast and Canada (where it’s the national apple) – and it’s our favorite variety: for eating, apple sauce, apple pies and apple crisp, you may have your own favorite.

Our tree is also a favorite with many wildlife species that spend time near the house – and not just for the apples it bears in early fall, but for the insects it attracts in the spring and summer and the pollen and nectar in the flowers. Although we like our Mac's fruit, for wildlife any variety of apple tree will do.

For a few hours on a couple of days this spring I’ve occupied a chair with a view out the front window and taken camera in hand when various species appeared in the tree. Many of the photographs were taken through the two panes of glass in the insulated window so they leave something to be desired – but they do show how valuable apple trees are to wildlife. Here are some of the photos –
 

Baltimore Oriole

Baltimore Oriole - immature male

Yellow Warbler

Common Eastern Bumble Bee

Cardinal

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Worm-eating Warbler

Tufted Titmouse

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Indigo Bunting

American Goldfinch

Unidentified Bee

Nashville Warbler

Catbird

Black-capped Chickadee

Red-eyed Vireo

If you ever have the opportunity, consider planting an apple tree.

Osprey !

Two photographers, of which I was one, dressed in full camouflage, were sitting on the edge of a small pond anticipating a chance to take photographs of whatever interesting creatures might present themselves. We were about 175 feet apart and so had different views of the pond.

A red-tailed hawk circled overhead, the first photo of the morning –

Then a song sparrow landed on one of last year’s cattails –

As the day warmed up a few painted turtles climbed up on the remains of a tree that had fallen into the water years ago –

Unfortunately, the other photographer never saw any of those, but I never saw the belted kingfisher that landed in a dead tree nearer to his location.

High thin clouds moved in, foretelling of rain the next day. About then the calls of an osprey came from another pond just behind us where an unseen osprey had landed in a dead tree. We both turned our small folding seats around in order to photograph the new arrival – an osprey that was carrying a large black bass –

At first the bird had some difficulty in holding the bass while also holding onto the branch –

Once it was settled, it warily looked around –

And began feeding –

It wasn’t long before a great blue heron landed in the same tree, but the birds were too far apart to get them in the same photo –

After a while the heron became alert, the osprey followed suit and began calling –

The heron took flight and was soon followed by the osprey –

 

We never saw what disturbed the birds. The heron flew out of sight, but the osprey landed in another tree in the same pond and resumed feeding –

While the osprey fed, the first broad-winged hawk I'd seen this year soared above, so high in the sky that it was extremely difficult to see. Thank goodness for long zoom lenses –

The hawk was on its way north, almost certainly the osprey will soon follow since ospreys don’t nest in this part of Pennsylvania.