Habitat trees and shrubs...

[Dotch]

I'll show you mine if you show me yours 

Just a few quick photos of the vegetation we've established or maintained around the acreage. Most were taken when the sun was actually out so it's been a while.

Chokeberries (aronia) Lots of things eating these including me when mowing the windbreak

American cranberry (viburnum). Popular especially with robins in spring when the soil is still frozen yet 

Red osier dogwood. Catches a lot of snow. Birds eat the white berries as fast as they ripen

Freedom honeysuckle. Birds got all the berries before I got there.

Indian magic crabapple. More horizontal than vertical. Birds eat this one in the spring after they've exhausted their other options

Nannyberry. Actually found a few the robins hadn't eaten yet

Wild plum thicket. The wrens favorite and a good place for rooster pheasants to set up shop in the spring-right on the edge of the yard

Red splendor crabapple. One of our faves as well as the birds. Pretty in spring and first eaten by the birds in the fall

l

Unknown crabapple. Came as part of a group from SWCD tree day. Spines as nasty as a giant rose bush. Tasty and good to throw at cars if you're a kid! 

Yellow crab of some kind. Came out of the same packet (obviously mixed) as the previous crab photo. Awful, bitter tasting for humans but birds nabbed them quickly not long after this photo was taken.

L - R: Northern red oak, northern pin oak and bur oak. Transplanted as seedlings about 20 years ago. Squirrels and blue jays have loved having these prolific acorn producers. 

Edited December 16, 2015 by Dotch

[Satchmo]

Dang, you must have the happiest birds on earth. Nice work!

[NWKR]

Looks like a good mix. We have a few of those growing wild: red osier dogwood, nannyberry, cranberry, chokecherries. Wild plum and crabapple have spread by themselves from prior plantings. Get some of the wild plums before the critters do and make some jelly. Some of the best stuff I have had. Also have hawthorns, hazelnut, and others.  

I would be a bit concerned about the freedom honeysuckle, I believe that is a ornamental that is still considered invasive. I encourage people to get rid of those types and replace with a native. 

A couple pictures from both 2014 and 2015: 

plums:

plums for jelly:

i think this one was nannyberry

hawthorn in bloom:

 

Hawthorns with berries:

 

black elderberry and ninebark I am growing at home:

 

hazelnut, usually have quite a few of these things

highbush cranberry

 

Edited December 30, 2015 by NWKR

[Dotch]

Thanks for the attaboy Satchmo and the great photos NWKR. Attaboy! The birds are content but deer seem to like us too. Don't have a photo of the pear tree some buck decided to use as a rubbing post. Just about killed it. The hazelnuts and hawthorn are on my list of things to add eventually. Had hazelnuts growing wild in the fencelines where I grew up. Was well aware that Freedom honeysuckle is now on the DNR's naughty list and just about did not include that photo. After seeing what the aphids did to honeysuckle back in the old days though, they were a marked improvement. Al Berner was actually the guy who pointed them out to me when he was still working for the DNR at Madelia. They were still on the Steele Co. SWCD list for the 2015 planting guide. They're part of an EQIP planting from 4 or 5 years ago so curious to see if they're omitted from the 2016 version. Haven't seen much evidence of them getting loose yet but the dogwood is another story. Good thing the wife likes those red twigs for decorating. They are everywhere. Between that and the encroaching switchgrass, yellow Indiangrass, big and little bluestem my yard is starting to look about like Al's did when I visited there.