I’d hide my face, too, if I was caught slurping from an ‘invasive’. GS Fritillaries seem to always come out for this Korean Privet.Native tussock moth caterpillar trying to stay out of sight after a day of eating K. Privet leaves.You are looking at the first year in flower for this Chinese Privet. It’s like a ‘Bar-Bat mitzvah’ or something (male and female parts are on the same plant—I’m thinking possible self-identifying crisis, here).This shot is in late winter. When you (a privet) are located along a busy ‘rails-to-trails’, you don’t get much bird feeding activity. The real tragedy is that, though the peoples bodies are on the trail, their heads are in their devices. The result: People don’t really experience the out-of-doors, and the birds don’t get to eat, here.
This is what should be happening on your local privet plant:
Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia have the Northern Cardinal as their state bird. After witnessing the above vid, NPNs might lead a grassroots effort (though illegitimate from the start as most grass in this country is non-native) to get this bird demoted in these states. In fact, this bird may be going straight to hell since NPNs are doing such ‘good works’ on Earth. The ultimate slap-in the-face may come from Professor Tallamy BWO issuance to this bird of a nature demerit for exhibiting a feeding faux pas. Looks like the face of guilt to me. I’m not hot for the fragrance of the C. Privet…but pollinators seem to be.
