Mountain Ash berries

An overcast morning today, 22 October 2015. The sun is supposed to shine this afternoon - I'm just hoping it won't rain, as I washed my car yesterday and vacuumed it out, ready for the arrival of winter. I then dropped it off at my Tire place to get my winter tires put on today - thought that if I left it any longer, too many people would be making appointments to get the same done.

Another thing completed this week was having two people come and remove everything from my tiny back yard. It had become one tangled jungle mess and, as I can't bend or kneel to do anything, it had been become totally out of control. It now looks completely bare and wonderfully tidy! That big, black cloud that has been hanging over my head for years has finally gone, and it feels so good.

This photo was taken on 20 October 2015 in South Glenmore Park, down by the Glenmore Reservoir. I went on a birding walk with a group of friends, but couldn't resist a quick shot of these bright Mountain Ash berries. By now, the leaves have died and shrivelled, leaving just the clusters of red.

"European Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuparia) is frequently planted for its showy clusters of white flowers in spring followed by an excellent display of fruit that develop in tight clusters 4-5" wide. Individual fruits are about 3/8" in diameter. Fruits start maturing in August and hang on through October."

In winter, Bohemian Waxwings seek out the ornamental Rowanberry/European Mountain-ash for its berries. However, widely planted in gardens, this ornamental tree has escaped and replaced native plants in our natural areas. Not good news!

Link to an article from CTV News page, on Bohemian Waxwings getting drunk on fermented Mountain Ash berries:

www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/birds-drunk-on-fermented-berries-...

I've just read the following suggestion of an alternative tree species on the City of Calgary's Yard Smart webpage:

"Snowy Mountain Ash (Sorbus decora) – A small, dense tree with flower clusters and then red berries. Needs well-drained soil. Twenty feet tall and fifteeen foot spread. Full sun. Attracts birds such as waxwings. Avoid its relative the European Mountain Ash (Sorbus auduparic) which can be invasive."

www.calgary.ca/UEP/Water/Pages/Water-conservation/Lawn-an...