When there is an abundance of berries, how does a bird decide which one to eat first? I thought that a bird would select the one that was closest to it. However, when I watched an Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) last Friday in a patch of sumac at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I realized that it had a different criterion for selecting berries.
I captured this little sequence of photos that showed a bluebird reaching down and carefully selecting a single berry that met its unstated criteria. After holding the berry in its beak momentarily, the bluebird swallowed the berry and, judging from the final berry, seemed to enjoy its flavor before choosing another one.
I am absolutely delighted to see bluebirds at this time of the year, when the number of birds has been steadily decreasing. These little birds, along with Northern Cardinals, add a burst of color during the long, gray days of the winter months.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Love the muted background in all these shots, Mike.
Thanks, Chris. I was photographing the bluebirds from a pretty good distance away and the upward angle at which I was shooting caused the background to fall away into a blur.
Beautiful shots, Mike! The colours and handling of the light are just gorgeous.
Thanks, Laura. I have been lucky to find bluebirds at this same patch of sumac several times over the past few years. I love the combination of blue and orange which, as you know, are complementary colors.
Beautiful shots.
Thanks, Louella.
These are so captivating!
I always love to see a Bluebird, Mike, and these are especially nice with the red sumac and berries. Interesting behavior observations, too, with so many choices in front of him.