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Re: Cedar waxwings and the evil White Mulberry



On Thu, 16 May 2002, Sherri Carpenter wrote:

> I read Charles Boyce's post with some interest, mainly - ARE the cedar
> waxwings a little late?

Hi Carolinabirders,

In the Triangle (where Sherri and Charles and I are all located), Cedar
Waxwings never go completely out of season. They do go from "common"
November through April to "rare" through the summer months (according to
the Triangle Bird Checklist), but they do breed in a few scattered
locations around the area.

> There is a white mulberry tree
> outside the office building where I work.  My boss, the local newspaper
> photographer (whom I called to join us), and I interfered heavily with
> my co-worker's efficiency as we oo'd, aah'd and photographed a large
> flock chowing down on the berries last Thursday.

Just in case anyone missed my recent rant about White Mulberry, and is
tempted to plant one for their local waxwings, DON'T! It's a Chinese
import and a plague on the native ecology. Plant the native Red Mulberry
instead: Waxwings like it just as much, and it gets along with other
species much better. My wife and I have a large White and several saplings
to remove from our new yard after we move in...

For more information, see:
http://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/forest/htmls/con_ex.html
http://www.gwf.org/thinkagain.htm
http://dnr.state.il.us/OREP/INRIN/ECOSYS/forests/extcweed.htm
http://www.newcolumbia.sierraclub.org/articles/trees.htm
http://www.earthsangha.org/pnfp/why/q1.htm
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/Morusal.htm
http://www.berrybot.org/fs_alinvasive.html
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/iep.html
http://www.exoticpestplantcouncil.org/ky/list.htm
http://www.main.nc.us/SERAMBO/exotic/trees.html

Good birding,

Josh


Joshua S. Rose
Duke University
Department of Biology (Zoology, R.I.P.)

jsr6@duke.edu
http://www.duke.edu/~jsr6/