Photo of the Day: Winter Feast

I was feeling a little let down the day after Thanksgiving, so I took a trash-pick-up-walk down our rural road. I was not ready to risk being mistaken for a deer in the woods! There was plenty of trash, so much I only made a little headway. But I ran into some very busy birds, feasting on what looked like miniature cranberries.

Kathy S has helped me identify the spring-bank shrub as native winterberry holly, Ilex verticillata (L.). The joyful bustle of the birds was a sure boost for my post-holiday mood. Very worth braving the weather!