Creature Feature – Autumn’s Bounty

Samuel Butler wrote, “Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits.” True enough, though not just in cultivated orchards. The forest is also full of ripening fruit including viburnum, elderberry, wild grape, mayapple, staghorn sumac, dogwood, and common juniper. (Actually, juniper fruits are not true berries but soft-bodied cones. In fact, many fruits that we commonly consider berries aren’t berries at all, including blueberries — but I digress!) 

Did you know that crabapples are a seasonal delight enjoyed by black bears, white-tailed deer, rabbits, and many other kinds of mammals, birds, and insects? Recently, I saw wonderful trail camera images of a coyote family eating fallen crabapples. In addition to feeding wildlife, apples and other seasonal fruits and berries also provide aesthetic beauty and pleasant fragrances as we wander the woods in autumn.   

Hard mast crops, such as acorns, hickory nuts, and beechnuts, are ripening now too, causing a flurry of activity from chipmunks, squirrels, and blue jays as they race to cache autumn’s bounty before winter arrives. The forest floor seems to come alive with their frenetic hustle and bustle. Indeed, an autumn stroll in the forest will likely find you being scolded by these furred and feathered foragers!

Article & photo by Margie Manthey