I was shocked the first time that a friend identified little white-colored berries like those in these photos as poison ivy berries. I had no idea that poison ivy plants produced berries and, upon learning that they did, I assumed they must be poisonous. I was both right and wrong. These little berries are definitely poisonous for humans, but they are an important food source for many birds during the winter. It is amazing to me how birds that eat almost exclusively bugs during the warm months can switch to a plant-based diet in the winter, but it helps to ensure their survivability.
Last week I spotted this Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) as it poked about among several clusters of poison ivy berries. The kinglet was in constant motion and was mostly in the shadows, but I was able to capture these images. I like the way that you can see some of the details of the vines wrapped around the branches and the way that the distant branches provide some shadowy forms in the background.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I hope you were at a good distance, yourself, Mike. Poison Ivy and me are not friends and hopefully not even future acquaintances. These are great photos, but they are about as close as I want to get 😉
It seems to be that poison ivy is almost everywhere, thanks in part to these birds, who help to spread the seed after it passes through their systems. That’s one of the reasons why I always wear long pants and most of the times I wear boots that cover my ankles.
Good ideas.
Very nice captures of a perpetual motion machine. 🙂
It is rare for me to actually spot these little guys, much less get unobstructed views of them. I just try to be patient and keep firing.
Kinglets are tough to catch, ruby and golden both. Nice job with shadowed light. White-tail Deer also eat poison ivy berries as do goats…but no surprise there. 🙂
I hear that the berries are high in protein and fat, so essential this time of year for our bird friends.