Birds and berries

When I was researching for my graduation thesis, I got a book called "Birds and Berries" by Snow & Snow, illustrated by John Busby(!!). It is a monograph about the studies held in the southern part of England to record all the bird species which ate all the berries species there. Because I was doing the research similar to their works in a small scale, I often referred to the book, imagining the birds in England eating berries.
And now, I can actually see them around my house!



Blackberry(Rubus fruticosus) セイヨウヤブイチゴ
Blackberries are everywhere, along the river, at the edge of the common lands but somehow I don't see many birds eating the berries. It may be because, as written in the book, there are double peaks for the birds to eat Blackberries; early September and late October. And it's the time in between now.



Elder(Sambucus nigra) and Collard Dove　セイヨウニワトコとシラコバト
If it's the same case as that in southern England, the reason for the Blackberries' double peaks here must be these attractive Elder berries.
It seems that most of the Elder berries were already eaten up around here, though.
シラコバトは、種子を散布せずに破壊しているに違いないけれど・・・。