I know that many people don't like this tree species. It is not native to this area (but is native to Canada), and that is one reason it is disliked. It also seeds and sprouts prolifically, so that is another reason it is not liked. But those seeds feed many creatures, and in winter when most other seed sources are exhausted, these seeds help wildlife survive.

One of many starlings angling for the crabapples near the ravine. Many Malus trees sit heavy with fruit long past when others have been stripped by hungry birds, but they fill a need at this time of year, when food becomes scarcer.

I love the shape of these pods which give the shrub its common name.

Robert Berry sent along a few photos he took around the FWG this week. Here mourning doves huddle in the woods near the OFNC feeder. For as long as I (Christine) can remember, the trees around the south edge of the ash woods, have provided roosting spots for mourning doves. They especially like the norway spruce on bitterly cold days, where in the past I have sometimes seen up to a dozen in winter.

Dark-eyed juncos, like this one, can also be found around both feeders at this time of year. This species moves through the region in large flocks in autumn, with some of the birds continuing southwards, others remaining through the winter.

The deep colour and pendant shape of this cluster of berberis fruits, is eye-catching against the bare brown twigs. An exotic plant, this species can be quite invasive in some areas. Around Ottawa it doesn't seem to be a big problem thus far, though I may wish I hadn't said this in another year or two!

This sumac leaf was resting on top of the pond and I was intrigued by the two-tones which one sometimes sees on leaves of many species, during the autumn when colour changes occur.

At first glance, these two relatively common plants can, when very small and young, be readily confused. Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)is a member of the bean family, however, while prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum), is a member of the citrus family. Both are native to southern Ontario. Locust grows into a very tall sturdy tree, while prickly ash is typically considered a shrub or, sometimes, a small tree. They are easiest to differentiate when in flower, for the flowers of the locust are large white clusters, while those of the prickly ash are small and green. Prickly ash also has a small red bud at the paired spines, while black locust does not. In this photo of a giant swallowtail larva on a prickly ash - www.pbase.com/fwg/image/153339662 - you can see a red bud just below the head of the caterpillar.

These are in the Backyard Garden, against the wall of the centre. Wildlife will eat these hips, but they are clearly not top of their list. A variety of fruit is left to the end, when the tastiest fruit, or perhaps the most nutritious, has been eaten, and all that is left is the so-so stuff.

Two nest boxes were crammed full of husked walnuts, put there by red squirrels, as here. This one was so full of nuts that it was difficult to open the door and when I did, many spilled out (I put them back). There was no room for a squirrel in this box, barely room for a mouse! A good, safe storage place, however. When we were checking one box, a red squirrel started to scold us and ran down a nearby tree branch looking rather put out.

Claudia and I cleaned out the nest boxes at the garden today. Here are a few of the nests we found. Top, is a tree swallow nest, with an unhatched egg shown at the top of the image. Tree swallow nests are mostly made of dry grasses and lined with feathers.

A thin skin of ice over the pond, was open in one section, allowing this lone mallard to swim and perch on this lightly submerged log. Mallards are hardy birds, sticking out the winter, sitting on ice and snow...

Thanks to our volunteers, we have another new bench at the garden. This one is south of the ash woods, with a view of the feeder. We now have four benches around the garden, two in the Backyard Garden, one by the butterfly meadow, and this one.

Nearby a female cardinal preens herself, photographed by Robert.

Robert photographed this male house finch, and noted only two were at the feeder. House finches are not native to Ontario, but over the last 25 years or so, their numbers increased, and about 12 years ago we'd regularly see flocks of 30 or more house finches during the winter months. In recent years, we have seen fewer and fewer, and big winter flocks seem to be a thing of the past.

Chipmunks maintain 'larders' in their underground dens, which they provision with all manner of seeds to see them through the coming cold weather. As they are not true hibernators, they will occasionally awake and feed during the winter.

In the nursery, plant boxes are filled with pots of wildflowers and covered with a thick layer of leaves. Our plant boxes are made of 2 by 6s, with hardware cloth (wire grid) bottoms and removable lids made of hardware cloth in a wooden frame. We need to protect our plants this way, because otherwise small animals uproot some and hide their stashes in others, dramatically reducing our inventory of native plants for next year's sale.

This endearing little chipmunk sat on the fence by the butterfly meadow and ate something he'd found on the ground and carried with him to the top of the fence.

A few years ago in winter, a downy woodpecker began to work on this birch tree looking for food, when it was still standing but already dead. In the spring of the following year, a pair of black-capped chickadees spent a considerable time excavating the cavity as a nest site. They worked endlessly on it, ferrying mouthful after mouthful of excavated material away from the site. But after much work, they abandoned the site. This autumn, the snag fell down and split into pieces. I picked up the bit with the hole (cavity) in it, and lo and behold, it fell apart in my hands, revealing the interior where the chickadees had worked. Pretty impressive work for two small birds!

The big leafy nests found high up in deciduous trees, are made by the grey squirrels, and often referred to as dreys. In autumn, squirrels begin building these nests, usually several in close proximity, and through the winter you may find them refurbishing the nests, particularly after heavy snows or winds have knocked them askew. The squirrels will also use cavities, just as the red squirrels do, and will often use both types of shelter in winter.

By the time I got to FWG, it was +3 and sunny, a nice day to be out. But in the shaded pockets, frost could be found covering the vegetation, as here on the red oak leaf.

Bird nests are visible here and there now that most of the leaves have fallen from surrounding branches. Robert Berry found this one near the ash woodlot. These types of cup nests are made by many songbirds, particularly the neotropical migrants who breed here in summer but return to the new world tropics for the winter. Although I (Christine) can't say for sure, not having seen the actual nest, this looks somewhat like that of an american redstart.

Robert photographed this little guy, hopping agilely amid these thorns - a nibble here, a snack there.

Hawthorns are one of many trees and shrubs providing food for birds and animals at the FWG. Crabapples, magnolias, plums, manitoba maples, amur maples, buckthorn, tartarian honeysuckles, mountain ash, to name the most common, are all used by wildlife. Some of these of course, are invasives, but while they are still standing, the critters enjoy them. I (Christine)try to keep a list of which birds/animals eat what and am always interested in hearing what others have seen being used for food at the garden.