After the saguaro cactus blooms disappear, the fruit of the saguaro is left behind for harvesting. Native Americans in this region have long been the harvesters of this fruit making wine, jams and candy from the pulp of the fruit.
At the Desert Botanical Garden, the harvester's tend to be the many birds that enjoy getting a taste of the fruit.
These doves were busy doing their own harvesting last Sunday when I was at the garden. They pierce the skin of the fruit with their beaks and then....
.....they indulge in the sweet and sometimes juicy fruit inside.
9 comments:
The bird is enjoying the sweetness of the fruit... I can tell!
Looks almost like a crown in the tree
The birds must look forward to that treat all year, Sharon.
They know where the good stuff is.
Can't fool those birds, they know where to go.
I imagine a juicy fruit with a lot of water in it is a life-saver for a bird in the desert.
Interesting little birds, must be good eating for them.
Amazing photographs!
It would be fun to sample saguaro fruit wine. I wonder if it's available anywhere?
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