First time in my Crabapple.

[MN Shutterbug]

I was beginning to think the apples weren't edible.

[Dbl]

They look happy to have those apples.

[MN Shutterbug]

This April I'll have lived here for 4 years and it's the first bird I've seen try the apples. I've seen robins in the tree before and even they've never sampled them.

[Jim Almquist]

What a great find. The only time I get them is when the apple trees are in bloom.

[NilesBayHusker]

We had a one (cedar waxwing) in our crab apple tree this week

[ncesi]

We have the Siberian or flowering crab trees in our yard. The apples are about the size of a pencil eraser or so. The grouse love them. In the early winter we watch them come out of the woods and jump up in the tree right before dusk eat for 10 minutes or so and go to roost. Yesterday we had 5 of them looking for anything left. We have had the grouse running across the garage roof like chicken just to jump into the trees. They are really fun to watch. We will get up to 7 or 8 at a time once in a while but mostly 3 or 4 is normal.

[MN Shutterbug]

Ncesi, send a few of your grouse down here. My Waxwings haven't returned.

[RebelSS]

For two days last week, my Crabapple was literally loaded with Waxwings and Robins; I couldn't even count the numbers. I've never seen so many in my life!!! Was able to video it, but having trouble posting it. The tree was stripped in two days, all that's left are these lonely Robins and one Waxwing.

[MN Shutterbug]

Wow. You hit pay dirt. I did have a lone robin dining on the apples yesterday. I just can't understand why the first 3 years I lived here nothing would touch them. I'm pretty sure the tree has been here 25 years.

[RebelSS]

Wow. You hit pay dirt. I did have a lone robin dining on the apples yesterday. I just can't understand why the first 3 years I lived here nothing would touch them. I'm pretty sure the tree has been here 25 years.

I've lived here 22 years, and that tree is about 12 years old, and I've NEVER seen this before. It's usually loaded with apples, but they are all eaten by late Fall; not so this year, no idea why not. I counted 12 Robins and at least 25-30 Waxwings perched in it at the peak, and they were flying in and out so fast, it was quite a sight. I'm working on that video....

[Dotch]

We planted two crabapple trees here probably 25 years ago, a Red Splendor and an Indian Magic. Some years the fruit goes begging, some years it's consumed in the spring and some years, only the Red Splendors are eaten in the fall. The birds seem to have a preference for that variety here. This time around the Red Splendor fruit was almost all gone last fall thanks to some greedy starlings. There have been lots of robins and waxwings eating from the Indian Magic tree this spring. We also have lots of other berry shrubs including American cranberry, nannyberry and chokeberry. We added 5 new Red Splendor crabs a couple years ago and scattered 15 Siberian crabs around the property last spring. I suspect some of the birds' eating habits depend on whether or not the ground is thawed in our yard & pasture. Lots of earthworms. Not an issue yet.

[leech~~]

For two days last week, my Crabapple was literally loaded with Waxwings and Robins; I couldn't even count the numbers. I've never seen so many in my life!!! Was able to video it, but having trouble posting it. The tree was stripped in two days, all that's left are these lonely Robins and one Waxwing.

There are a few crab's at work and it seems like not many birds eat them all winter. But, once it warms up a bit about 20-30 Robin's and other birds show up every year like clock work and pick the tree clean in a few days.

My thought is that once the crab's thaw and warm up they start to ferment more making them a little sweeter?

[MN Shutterbug]

I'm beginning to think I have the wrong brand of Crab Apple tree. Until Dotch chimed in, I didn't realize there was more than 1 variety.

[ncesi]

They say after the apples hang on the tree the ferment. Possibly a party for the birds? I did notice a few of the grouse we get seem to walk a bit funny. HA HA!!

[Dotch]

We used to watch the gray squirrels in the crabapple trees outside one of the classrooms on St. Paul campus at the U. With several warm autumn days the crabapples would ferment. The rodents would stuff themselves, get just bombed and fall out of the trees after a while.

[MN Shutterbug]

We used to watch the gray squirrels in the crabapple trees outside one of the classrooms on St. Paul campus at the U. With several warm autumn days the crabapples would ferment. The rodents would stuff themselves, get just bombed and fall out of the trees after a while.

Maybe that's what happened to this guy that I found in my yard.

[jentz]

KOOL video.Not only do the small mammals like fermented fruits, they do enjoy some rooms now and then.If we humans enjoy stuff like that,they have learned more than we,What is that rodent grabbing on the ground?I,ve seen it before, both fermented fruit, rooms and strange actions I cant explain.Course the youngsters sure have fun just experimenting and letting out energy

[MN Shutterbug]

It's just a tree branch, probably from the neighbor's Weeping Willow.

Thanks to Dotch, I now understand why he's acting so goofy. I titled it Drunk Squirrel without realizing he really is drunk. The Crab Apple is just a few feet from this tree so it all makes sense.

[RebelSS]

So THAT'S why my squirrels do that!!!! Now it makes sense!!! I wish I knew what kind my Crabapple was, just sprung up between my fence years ago, kept spraying it, kept growing, so I let it be, just to see what it was. Anyone willing to try to identify it if I PM them pics of the tree and the Spring blossoms? (close ups I have for screen savers) Don't want to hijack this thread....

[MN Shutterbug]

Don't want to hijack this thread....

No danger there. It just adds to the interest and education.

[Dotch]

Bring it on! I wouldn't pretend to be able to ID a crab variety by the blossom, leaves or what not but who knows? Someone here might have that talent.

[RebelSS]

Managed to upload one of the videos...sorry about the quality. It was a "get 'er quick" shoot, through two windows, with my camera handheld in "video" mode. Tried "tracking" one bird, to show all his feeding.

http://youtu.be/z3gwjVy6Ejs

[MN Shutterbug]

Those apples almost look too large for the waxxie.

[RebelSS]

Those apples almost look too large for the waxxie.

Tell them that. I think that's why they hit it on warmer days; maybe the apples softened up enough to chomp some bites out. You can see the one keeps pecking at the same apple and gulping... Sure made the bunnies on the ground happy, they "graze" on those at sunset. Next it'll be drunk bunnies and squirrels fighting. ha!

[MN Shutterbug]

Squirrels and rabbits fighting is a video I'd like to see.