About the Cover…
Golden-fronted Woodpecker Photo: courtesy Betsy Cross
Betsy Cross
In years past, the Cedar Waxwings have devoured all the berries on my wild Possumhaw Holly. One year, a squirrel contorted itself in unimaginable positions to collect every unripened green berry from the tree. Our resident Mockingbirds eat the fruit too. And when the Robins pass through, they will stop by and pick a few. But this year, the Golden-fronted Woodpecker came week after week to pick the Possumhaw berries.
Once I noticed she stabbed the berry with her sharp bill and then rubbed it against the tree trunk to loosen it before popping it into her mouth and hopping up to the top of the tree to swallow it.
