It's not only Thrushes who enjoy fallen fruits in Autumn ...

Hurricane Katia took its toll mid-September of the damsons in our orchard and took off a number of branches and some of the early ripened crop. However, we managed to make plenty of damson sauce and put about a dozen bottles down for Damson Gin.  

                                               

We have been amused recently to see our resident Crows and Magpies taking advantage of those still clinging to the very tops of the trees. OK, some birds, we know, do like fruit, but we were most surprised on 9th of this month, on hearing lots of cawing from the orchard, to see a Fox interloper scavenging for fallen ones. Neither the Crows nor the Magpies were very happy about this and they continued to kick up quite a din as the Fox picked its way round the orchard, greedily gobbling as many as it could find. We had spotted this happening and hurriedly crossed the bridge to get a closer view and some photos. It had certainly seen us but was not to be deterred by ourselves nor by the corvid's scoldings, when such a juicy feast presented itself. The damson-stained face it ended up with was a picture!

                                                                                                                                                                              

Images "Fox scavenging for fallen damsons" on YouTube.