Dried American Beautyberry Stalks Feed Wildlife

 

Hermit Thrush in American Beautyberry Bush

I've found that leaving my American Beautyberry bushes intact through the Fall and Winter provides food for wildlife. This is something my "neatnick" gardening friends would never consider. Dried up berries on stalks are untidy looking, but have brought in many birds. Carolina Wrens, Dark-eyed Juncos, Hermit Thrush, White-throated Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, and Eastern Phoebes are species that I've observed in my backyard. 

By the way, I have about 20 Beautyberry bushes. These include the original 3 given to me by a friend and the other 17 that are spontaneous volunteers "planted" by wildlife. My rural street has the bushes coming up on the roadside as well.

Dark-eyed Junco under Beautyberry Bush

Eastern Phoebe in Beautyberry Bush

Eastern Bluebird in Beautyberry Bush

White-throated Sparrow in Beautyberry Bush

The American Beautyberry is a native plant of the United States.

Bird Photography

Eastern Bluebird

When you enjoy bird photography, it's a challenge. Your subjects, the birds, tend to move around a lot. They can be skittish around people. It helps if you have camera equipment that can quickly take a shot from a distance.

Many of my photographs are taken from inside my home, through the window using a Sigma 600 mm telephoto lens on a Canon Rebel T3i DSLR camera. I use a monopod to stabilize the heavy lens. I'm listing the equipment links on Amazon below.

If you click on the link, I may receive affiliate credit. If I do, it will be exciting for me because I have been featuring affiliate links for years and have yet to receive any monetary credit. Oh well. There's my disclaimer, nonetheless.

Do your research and make sure your camera is compatible with any lenses you decide to purchase. Enjoy your bird photography!

The author with her "bird" camera at the NC coast

My telephoto bundle: