September 14, 2005
Autumn Plenty
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), laden with fruit
Over the next few months most of this fruit will be consumed by birds such as robins, mockingbirds, and cedar waxwings, and mammals such as squirrels and chipmunks.This year's crop of fruit, acorns, and nuts at Fresh Pond Reservation is unusually large, whereas last year's was quite small. The amount of available food over the winter has an impact on the survival of birds and other small animals. This in turn affects the survival of the predators that eat these animals, including foxes and hawks.