Comments on: Cattail Down and the Mysterious Wedged Horseapples http://www.birderslounge.com/2010/01/cattail-down-and-the-mysterious-wedged-horseapples/ Birds | Nature | Conservation Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:09:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: mike http://www.birderslounge.com/2010/01/cattail-down-and-the-mysterious-wedged-horseapples/comment-page-1/#comment-21793 mike Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:47:12 +0000 http://www.birderslounge.com/?p=3483#comment-21793 maybe thats just how it grew in the tree or some kind of big bird dropped it and it landed there i really don't care what the tree is called just as long as its growing good thats fine my "wild-deer-mice" likes to eat the Osage-Orange or horse-apple i cut one ball open and licked it it was fine but the seed tasted kind of sour i think the horse-apple-tree might be related to a milk weed plant but the white milk looking stuff in the milk weed that stuff taste really really bitter so don't ever try it like i did i thought it would taste like cow milk just because its white and it sure didn't if you have any ? pleas ask maybe thats just how it grew in the tree or some kind of big bird dropped it and it landed there i really don’t care what the tree is called just as long as its growing good thats fine my “wild-deer-mice” likes to eat the Osage-Orange or horse-apple i cut one ball open and licked it it was fine but the seed tasted kind of sour i think the horse-apple-tree might be related to a milk weed plant but the white milk looking stuff in the milk weed that stuff taste really really bitter so don’t ever try it like i did i thought it would taste like cow milk just because its white and it sure didn’t if you have any ? pleas ask

]]> By: Amber Coakley http://www.birderslounge.com/2010/01/cattail-down-and-the-mysterious-wedged-horseapples/comment-page-1/#comment-3121 Amber Coakley Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:43:29 +0000 http://www.birderslounge.com/?p=3483#comment-3121 Hi Larry - I took a look at your friend's photo - wow! I love it. Horse-apples ARE heavy, that's why I don't think it could have been a squirrel who put it there. If I am right in the first place, about the tree(s) not being Osage Orange in the first place, a friend of mine suggested that maybe a possum could have put the fruit there. A possum is strong enough, though I have not seen a possum climb quite that high in a tree. Hmmm. Hi Larry – I took a look at your friend’s photo – wow! I love it.

Horse-apples ARE heavy, that’s why I don’t think it could have been a squirrel who put it there. If I am right in the first place, about the tree(s) not being Osage Orange in the first place, a friend of mine suggested that maybe a possum could have put the fruit there. A possum is strong enough, though I have not seen a possum climb quite that high in a tree. Hmmm.

]]> By: Amber Coakley http://www.birderslounge.com/2010/01/cattail-down-and-the-mysterious-wedged-horseapples/comment-page-1/#comment-3120 Amber Coakley Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:37:18 +0000 http://www.birderslounge.com/?p=3483#comment-3120 Sandy, thanks for the tip. I *think* I recognize bluestem in the winter by the reddish hue of the seedheads. I'll keep my eye out and try to photograph them as well. Sandy, thanks for the tip. I *think* I recognize bluestem in the winter by the reddish hue of the seedheads. I’ll keep my eye out and try to photograph them as well.

]]> By: Amber Coakley http://www.birderslounge.com/2010/01/cattail-down-and-the-mysterious-wedged-horseapples/comment-page-1/#comment-3119 Amber Coakley Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:34:20 +0000 http://www.birderslounge.com/?p=3483#comment-3119 Jason, I photographed those cattails in the "golden hour" that you have mentioned before. That lighting definitely gave those cattails a warm glow. I rarely trust myself on sparrow ID, so thanks for the backup (as usual :-) ) Jason, I photographed those cattails in the “golden hour” that you have mentioned before. That lighting definitely gave those cattails a warm glow. I rarely trust myself on sparrow ID, so thanks for the backup (as usual :-) )

]]> By: Larry Jordan http://www.birderslounge.com/2010/01/cattail-down-and-the-mysterious-wedged-horseapples/comment-page-1/#comment-3115 Larry Jordan Sun, 31 Jan 2010 02:23:53 +0000 http://www.birderslounge.com/?p=3483#comment-3115 I love cattails too Amber! My friend Frank Kratofil actually got a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/natures_magic/3323065594/" rel="nofollow">photo of a hummingbird collecting down</a> for a nest last spring. That's a great shot of the down in different stages from just beginning to open to what looks like cotton, after it's been rained on. I'm not familiar with horse-apples but aren't they pretty heavy? Weird mystery. You have also gotten great shots of the Great Blue Heron and the Song Sparrow. I just adore Song Sparrows. They have such a classic plumage pattern and their song is beautiful. I love cattails too Amber! My friend Frank Kratofil actually got a photo of a hummingbird collecting down for a nest last spring. That’s a great shot of the down in different stages from just beginning to open to what looks like cotton, after it’s been rained on.

I’m not familiar with horse-apples but aren’t they pretty heavy? Weird mystery.

You have also gotten great shots of the Great Blue Heron and the Song Sparrow. I just adore Song Sparrows. They have such a classic plumage pattern and their song is beautiful.

]]> By: Sandy http://www.birderslounge.com/2010/01/cattail-down-and-the-mysterious-wedged-horseapples/comment-page-1/#comment-3112 Sandy Sat, 30 Jan 2010 15:50:06 +0000 http://www.birderslounge.com/?p=3483#comment-3112 Amber -- your fondness of cattails reminds me of mine for brushy bluestem which you can often find right by cattails. Look for it sometime - bet you'll like it, too. Amber — your fondness of cattails reminds me of mine for brushy bluestem which you can often find right by cattails. Look for it sometime – bet you’ll like it, too.

]]> By: jason http://www.birderslounge.com/2010/01/cattail-down-and-the-mysterious-wedged-horseapples/comment-page-1/#comment-3103 jason Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:54:30 +0000 http://www.birderslounge.com/?p=3483#comment-3103 I've been fascinated with cattails since I was quite young. Don't know why, though. It's just one of those things that can always grab my attention. The photo of them is gorgeous, warm and inviting and serene. By the way, I think the shivering heron was actually camera shake from you shivering. Believe me, I've been there before! And yes on the sparrow ID. It's hard to believe it's the end of January and so many of our winter visitors will soon be leaving. The season never lasts long enough. But at least that means our summer residents will soon begin returning. I can't wait to see my first purple martin and scissor-tailed flycatcher--and insects! I’ve been fascinated with cattails since I was quite young. Don’t know why, though. It’s just one of those things that can always grab my attention. The photo of them is gorgeous, warm and inviting and serene.

By the way, I think the shivering heron was actually camera shake from you shivering. Believe me, I’ve been there before!

And yes on the sparrow ID. It’s hard to believe it’s the end of January and so many of our winter visitors will soon be leaving. The season never lasts long enough. But at least that means our summer residents will soon begin returning. I can’t wait to see my first purple martin and scissor-tailed flycatcher–and insects!

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