A short distance into the field, a dried mullein beckoned me during an early morning walk with Jann. I knew that this brown stalk could be used by birds as a perch, and it is sometimes a food source for them. So I carried it home with us and stuck it in our yard after pounding a spike through the still frozen soil to create a hole for it.
Verbascum, common name mullein, is a genus of about 360 species of flowering plants in the figwort family. Mullein or “mullein leaf” often refers to the leaves of Verbascum thapsus, the great or common mullein, which is frequently used in herbal medicine.
My purloined mullein stalk didn’t get much action as it gradually drooped toward the ground making a semi-circle with its stalk. Then a gray squirrel reached up and broke a foot-long piece off the top. Even though the birds weren’t much interested in the seeds, the squirrel certainly was.
I shouted “stop thief”, and the squirrel scampered up a tree carrying its prize. It then scrambled horizontally high above the ground along thin branches reaching other likewise thin branches of a neighboring tree. As it struggled with an acrobatic tightrope walk, it dropped the mullein. It descended the second tree and scampered off into the woods. I did not retrieve the broken piece. The next day it had disappeared.
Four days later a goldfinch used the remains of the mullein as a temporary perch.
Recently on another early morning walk, along the roadside a pair of dried mullein begged to be transplanted. It was easier this round since the ground was now thawed. I buried and watered the roots on the off chance life would return to the apparently-dead plant.
This time the mullein and I fared much better. Within 10 minutes a chickadee perched at its very top and, as it left, I got very lucky to capture the photo at the beginning of this blog. You can see that it was snowing lightly when I took that photo.
A half hour later a chickadee arrived to feed on the mullein seeds.
Not to be left out, another 30 minutes later an American Goldfinch perched on the mullein stalk.
Happy with my success, the next day, which was Sunday morning, I spent some time photographing Black-capped Chickadees and American Goldfinch on the mullein. Here are a few photos.
Below is a sequence where a goldfinch flies too close to one perched on the mullein.
It was early morning and the lighting was tricky. The mullein, and hence the birds, were shaded by our house, but the background was brightly lit by the sun.
Another launch from the top of the stalk.
The goldfinch continued to put on a show.
This was starting to get habit forming.
Below is a 10-photo sequence for an almost fight.
Flying birds can be very graceful.
Not a bad way to spend a Sunday morning away from people.
