[obol] Cascara tree - Empid

[Dennis P. Vroman]

Romain and Other,

Cascara berries are readily feasted on by many species of birds, those 
Romain mentions (Band-tailed Pigeons too) and some others, like Hermit and 
Swainson's Thrushes.  At one banding location where Cascara is found, there 
was a large influx of birds when the berries were ripe.  Have not tried them 
myself, guess I fear the fact that the bark from this tree/shrub is (was) 
used to help folks that have been bound up for a while.

Have never noticed any Flycatchers foraging on them, however.

Dennis (north of Grants Pass)

>A bushy cascara tree (Rhamnus purshiana) near our yard is full of
> berries and birds.  Earlier, when in flower, lots of honeybees and
> native pollinators were swarming over this particular tree.  Now
> mostly Spotted Towhee, Black-Headed Grosbeak, Western Tanager, Am.
> Robin and Purple Finch are feeding on the berries.  Today a
> hatch-year Townsend's Solitaire was perched near the tree and a
> Band-Tailed Pigeon flew over (didn't see either of them eating berries).
>
> An Empid flycatcher (probably Pacific Slope?  They are common in the
> area. The bird had a distinct eye-ring.) was perched in the
> cascara.  When I checked out the object in its beak, I was surprised
> to see that it was a cascara berry (and not an insect).  It was
> moving its head vigorously with berry in beak (perhaps trying to
> dislodge the pit?).  I never saw the bird ingest the berry.  Shortly
> thereafter, it assumed a fly-catcher pose and pumped its tail a few times.
>
> I never thought of any flycatcher (Tyrannidae) as eating
> berries?  This one appeared to be in the process.
>
> Siskiyou Biological Services LLC
> Romain Cooper
> 10398 Takilma Road
> Cave Junction, OR 97523
> home office 541-592-2311
> cell 541-415-1490