Judy Byykkonen has a tree in her Traprock Valley yard that provides beauty for her viewing pleasure year round. It's called a Weeping Crabapple and of course is colorful and gorgeous when it blooms in the springtime. But in the winter it adds even more color to the white landscape with the fruit that is left on the branches for the birds to come and dine on.

Those are Pine Grosbeaks there feasting in today's photos. They're almost camouflaged from sight with the red fruit and their red feathers. What a welcome sight after several weeks of blowing snow, to get a glimpse of color like this to brighten things up a bit. Nature really does provide, both nourishment for the birds and animals to make it through the winter and also "eye candy" for us humans to enjoy!

Would love to see these guys in our yard!

Great captures of a great looking bird. I've never seen one of those birds. Very colorful addition to the normal stark colors of winter.

Great pix! I had the misfortune of hitting a red bird just like this one a few years back with my black truck, but it gave me a good color choice for my new pinstripe job.

Alex "UP-Goldwinger" (Alex):
"… I had the misfortune of hitting a red bird just like this one a few years back with my black truck"

That reminds me of one trip up ta "Ruces Rossing" (circa 1952?) in my dad's in dad's ol' dark green 1950 Mercury 4 door fat salami er… sedan. It had a bullet shaped hood ornament with a nearly cylindrical surround, thus:

Somehow a robin flew right into that gadget and got tightly wedged in. Ewww! :-(

Fabulous pics!!

I wonder what it is about red berries and red birds. I have a Hawthorne tree in my yard and the only birds that love the red berries are the Cardinals. At a good moment I've counted 5 or 6 feasting in the tree at the same time.

These pictures are so great, Judy. I don't mind
seeing them a 2nd time. Beautiful!!

I can say I have never seen that beautiful bird even when I lived in the Keweenaw. Always was on the lookout, but never this one. It's is Gorgeous!!
Thank you

The cardinal is one of the most attractive birds.

Had no idea that it was so common to wedge a bird into the front of your vehicle! Several years ago we were driving up to Lake of the Clouds when a flock of small birds flew up in front of the truck. When we got to the parking area one of them was wedged into the grill of the truck. Felt so bad for it.

Hi
There is a lot of fruit left on that tree, which kind of makes me wonder how tasty the birds find it. I was on a guided hike once and we saw a tree shrub with lots of berries. I asked if they were edible for the birds. The naturalist replied "There's a difference between edible and palatable".