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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that picking holly with berries on is unfair to birds?

30 replies

greygirl · 22/12/2011 17:10

I know holly from the shops is expensive, but when people say they picked holly from the park I feel they might be stealing berries the birds could eat (and winter isn't easy for birds).
AIBU to dissaprove of berried holly?
(and can anyone enlighten me if it isn't unfair to the birds please)

OP posts:
valiumredhead · 22/12/2011 17:11

My dad has a HUGE holly tree in his garden - all berries intact - birds aren't interested at all so fret ye not! Grin

Shakirasma · 22/12/2011 17:11

Well given that people spend a fortune on feeding their feathers friends over winter, I don't think a few missing berries will hurt. YABU

ommmward · 22/12/2011 17:12

Do what? How many holly branches were you planning to deck the halls with? A good sized holly tree won't miss a few twigs. YABVU

namechangerbat · 22/12/2011 17:13

Have two hue Holly's in our garden full of red berries and covered

fuzzypeach1750 · 22/12/2011 17:13

same here valium, we have a huge holly tree and not one berry seems to have been touched. It could have something to do with the stupid amount I spend on bird seed and the like.....

usualsuspect · 22/12/2011 17:14

Well no one think of the birds Xmas Sad

usualsuspect · 22/12/2011 17:14

will*

VeronicaSpeedwell · 22/12/2011 17:14

The birds in my garden don't even give us a chance to use the berries from our massive holly tree; the thing was stripped bare in November.

Original poster
greygirl · 22/12/2011 17:14

ah but my point is that in our town we have a small wood. If everyone in town decided to take 'a few twigs' then there aren't any berries left for the birds. Near my mom they have a large park and it is forbidden to take holly (possibly to stop people selling it and thus taking a lot).
But thank you shakirasma - i will not glare at holly wreaths so much now.

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 22/12/2011 17:15

i don't think birds eat holly do they?

valiumredhead · 22/12/2011 17:16

But the birds don't like the berries so stop worrying about it OP!

Is this a real thread or a wind up? Confused

Original poster
greygirl · 22/12/2011 17:20

it's a real thread, i was just wondering, whilst i was reading the 'mumsnet christmas on the cheap'.

it would appear that my concerns are unfounded so i can sleep easy.
(but birds do need food in wonter so everyone remember to feed them please!)

OP posts:
Original poster
greygirl · 22/12/2011 17:20

WINTER!!!!

OP posts:
SpagBollyandtheIvy · 22/12/2011 17:20

Something must eat the berries, or they wouldnt have evolved to be so nice and red. I wouldn't pck from park, as should be there for everyone to enjoy. But I will pick from m own bush, berries and all

RustyBear · 22/12/2011 17:24

Valium and fuzzy peach - your untouched holly trees are probably the 'property' of a mistle thrush - they will adopt a tree with berries as their territory and defend it from all comers, but they don't eat the berries unless they can't find other food - they save it for a rainy (or more likely snowy) day. In any case, holly berries often don't get eaten until there's been a lot of cold weather,as they contain toxins which don't taste good but are reduced by frost.

valiumredhead · 22/12/2011 17:26

Oh interesting about the Mistle thrush, that makes sense.

I always feed the birds :)

fuzzypeach1750 · 22/12/2011 17:29

Thanks rusty I did wonder! Lovely to go out filling all the feeders and tables an watch them all come down. Grin

FizzyChristmasFairyDust · 22/12/2011 17:39

This is why birds don't eat holly berries, often anyway:

The master of restraint and forward planning is the mistle thrush. This is the UK?s largest thrush and in early autumn birds gather in large flocks to feed together. But as soon as holly berries appear, they will split off on their own or into pairs and get defensive. Each bird or pair will find itself a holly tree or bush teeming with berries and will set up a territory.

The berries on that tree won?t be eaten, but will be guarded with such care that no other birds can take them either. Mistle thrushes are so good at protecting their trees, just in case, that by spring many will still have their full crop of berries untouched, long after any unprotected holly has had its fruit stripped.

valiumredhead · 22/12/2011 17:40

I can't wait to tell my dad that about the Mistle thrush - he'll love that fact! Grin

belgo · 22/12/2011 17:42

I have a holly tree in my garden, with berries, and I've seen a robin and other small bird eating the berries. Have my eyes been deceiving me?

oikopolis · 22/12/2011 17:56

God all those centuries of decking the halls eh...
wonder how the poor little birdies survived at all

wahwahwah · 22/12/2011 17:58

Do they eat them? Aren't they red as a warning to no eat them? Oh hand on, are birds colorblind?

OtterBaubles · 22/12/2011 18:03

Our resident blackbird has all but stripped the holly tree of berries in the last week. He didn't touch them before the frosts though.

Fascinating.

belgo · 22/12/2011 18:14

That's interesting about the frosts. It explains why the berries on the tree have lasted three months this year, compared with last year when they were gone within a couple of weeks. It's far milder this year, we've barely had frost yet.

spiderslegs · 22/12/2011 18:16

YABU - I think birds eating holly berries is unfair to ME, I found a paltry four berries on all the bushes in the wood when I went out collecting at the weekend.

And I feed them loads. Ingrates.

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