Some specials in a Syringa tree.

avatar

They reckon that the berries of a syringa tree are poisonous for human consumption, but the wild birds feast on them.
204.JPG

I never knew that the syringa berries could make the wild birds drunk.

Fruits are poisonous or narcotic to humans if eaten in quantity. However. these toxins are not harmful to birds, who gorge themselves on the fruit, eventually reaching a "drunken" state.

I suppose that they fly around in circles, happily singing some bar songs :)

The birds that are able to eat the fruit spread the seeds in their droppings. The toxins are neurotoxins and unidentified resins, found mainly in the fruits. The first symptoms of poisoning appear a few hours after ingestion. They may include loss of appetite, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea, bloody faeces, stomach pain, pulmonary congestion, cardiac arrest, rigidity, lack of coordination and general weakness. Death may take place after about 24 hours. As in relatives, tetranortriterpenoids constitute an important toxic principle. These are chemically related to azadirachtin, the primary insecticidal compound in the commercially important neem oil. These compounds are probably related to the wood and seed's resistance to pest infestation, and maybe to the unattractiveness of the flowers to animals.

Source

050.JPG

Now I know why the Malachite was singing so happily, not only were the berries making him intoxicated, but you will see the other reason below, as his missus was collecting nesting materials, with a syringa twig in her mouth. Soon, he will have a youngster or two, and he can also teach them how to get drunk on the Syringa berries.

090.JPG

098.JPG

Then below, the Cape BulBul appeared again, and come and look how he enjoyed the berries.
102.JPG

210.JPG

204.JPG

Check how happily the berries make him sing, and he also called his partner to come and have a drink.
191.JPG

The partner arrived, and happiness is what you can see here below.
197.JPG

Now this Red-faced Mousebird must be a pastor or something like that, as he knows not to get drunk on the syringa berries, and he was feeding on a non-alcoholic tree.
116.JPG

I was having a lot of fun taking these photos, and it was a good idea to wait at the syringa tree for the action to start. I don't know if birds act like humans when they become intoxicated, because in the human way they will soon start making love, or they will start fighting. The locals here call it sex or boxing gloves, as it is often the result of drinking too much cheap wine. I do not take photos of the humans in action, but I leave it to your imagination of what happens.
The syringa tree is a non-native invasive tree in South Africa, and the authorities are currently busy clearing all invasives in order to conserve water. We have hundreds of beautiful old Oak trees here, and I hope that they will not also be cleared.
Such is life.

I hope that you have enjoyed the pictures and the story.

And That's All Friends.

Photos by Zac Smith-All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon Powershot SX70HS Bridge camera.

Thank you kindly for supporting a post on behalf of @papilloncharity

photography wildbirds intoxication drunkenness humor proofofbrain creativecoin featheredfriends silverbloggers
0
0
0.000
73 comments
avatar

What serves as poison to the human body can be consumed by bird, wow.. one man food is another man poison. Those caption on the bird were so accurate as if i was watching video because my imagination was playing it 😃

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Different digestive systems accounts for it, as one bird's food is another man's poison.
Glad that I could stimulate your imagination.
!BEER

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Had a good laugh in this one. Especially from the other bed that is probably a pastor since he takes the non-alcoholic berries....
It would have been lovely to know what the whole hype with the birds are about but as you said It's poisonous, I guess the only remedy is to enjoy the antics of these beautiful birds. How lovely.🤗

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Humor always makes life a bit easier to bear and maybe that non-alcoholic bird is only sober in public. He might have a ton of alcoholic berries at his home !LOL
Only poisonous for mankind and the birds love the berries.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Excellent descriptive writing about grand enjoyment above, each as gorgeous as the next frolicking around having a taster.

Very sad if trees are removed now well established. !LOLZ with !LUV and !PIZZA

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Thank you and humor makes the birds and life go around Lady Joan. Glad that you like the bird shots.

They cut this old oak down and look what the beetles did to the core of its trunk.

A terrible sight and they cover the stump with plastic sheeting to prevent the poisoned beetle nests inside the stump, from regenerating.

!PIZZA
!LOLZ
!LUV

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

With shipping movement over the years by humans different bugs have come into many countries, sad destruction that is not seen until the tree is dead.

English Ivy and climbing plants another you don't want in a garden here, water hyacinth in waterways killing off life, total invasive.

!LOLZ
!PIZZA
!WINEX

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Yep, exactly how the bugs get in here to sow destruction. I don't know why they cannot steam clean the pallets that they take out of the containers.

We always seem to close the door after the horse has bolted, as the clearing of the invasives should have started 20 years ago. Now they want to panic, but the situation is the same as all of the other defunct entities here. It's not a calling to service, but rather a job for the paycheck.

!PIZZA !LOLZ !WINEX

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Hitch-hikers moved around the world with shipping, or bringing in foreign from sailing boats, not sure this is a new problem just a problem...

Moving people the way in which it happened has caused much up-heavel, now to vote them into a smaller portion to hopefully make change next year.

!BEER

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

The thing is that we know where it comes from and I simply cannot understand why better controls were not instituted. Everything nowadays is guess work as that green water hyacinth that destroys our rivers and dams, should never have been allowed to flourish. It should have been nipped in the bud at the original sightings.

Not going to be easy, as fear of losing the grant will anchor many to stay in the same party.

!BEER

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Should not happen but it does with so much movement worldwide, water hyacinth originated with fish tanks people not realizing the implications. Our rivers are infested they remove and reduce to compost, just cannot keep up with having to clear regularly!

If more work became available the grant system should go back to what it was, disabled and elderly.

!LUV

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Oh yes, we sit with one of the highest un-employment rates in the world. Nothing prevents the municipalities from training up a group of volunteers and pay them stipends to keep the waterways clean. But of course, most of the municipalities are broke.

More employment opportunities are desperately needed, as it will be the answer, but I don't have high hopes that it will happen any time soon. Not with our economy in the state that it is.

!LUV

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Not broke, never used money into causes that required payment by siphoning off for the cadre clan in many places.

Cape region still ticking over compared to rest of the land!

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

A sad story indeed, as lately money is disappearing all over the place.

Yeah, but facing much dissent from people with ulterior motives in their dreams to get to the money pots.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

What has been taken is going to take a long time to rebuild.

Have a great Sunday and relax rather than fret!

!LUV

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

The big question is if it's ever going to be rebuilt.
Snow and cold here today and I hope that your Sunday is better.
!LUV

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Cold fronts tumbling in down in the Cape, we have cooler weather today, not cold it's comfortable. !LOLZ

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Icy weather as the wind brings the snow on the mountain peaks down here below.
Glad that your cool is bearable. !LOLZ

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Nice crisp breeze in the morning, warms up in the day not too hot which is great.

Happy month of August now the colder side of Winter 😊

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Full sun here today with a cold wind, but bearable. I think that it is very similar to yours.

A happy August also to you guys and yeah, the colder days has started 😉

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Lovely in the sun, no wind at the moment, have a great day, month of wind normally!

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Strange, as we are in the second day already and only calm winds. Up high it's another matter though, as the wind chases the clouds around.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Clouds tend to chase across the sky late afternoon, with change in direction almost every other day which has been unusual.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Sounds very much Cape like methinks. Only difference is that our wind direction can change repeatedly in one day.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Wind direction change happens often on coast, barometer bounces this time of year, sometimes small change, or could arrive with a demon behind.....

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Oh yes, you also have the direction changes, but our problem here is the ring of the mountain range behind us.
Here's an example of a clash of winds at 3pm this afternoon. Our part was clear with the wind coming from the southeast, and the mountains were white with a wind coming in from over the Atlantic ocean.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

We very seldom get the mist come down like that, when it happens I really enjoy it, once or twice slight inversion of the river in the valley below us, it makes for a very dreamy picture.

Vineyards enjoying a little natural spray going through.

Have a wonderful Sunday to both of you.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

It does indeed make dreamy pictures, especially when seen at a distance. There are all kinds of technical explanation for it, but they don't interest me, as I like to keep the dreamy aspect in my mind.

The problem is that the vineyards are sprayed with chemicals after the soaking and we get runny noses and phlemmy chests from the air.

Thank you and I hope that you guys will have a good new week.
!PIZZA

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Air pollution through so many things are a problem here as well. Being able to enjoy countryside always a treat with something to see or do.

Have a wonderful day !LOLZ

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Don't know what we will do if the pollution worsens, as nothing much is said about it. We have to stay off the national roads due to the taxi strikes, but luckily we know all of the short cuts to the mountains.

Hope that your Monday was also good.
!LOLZ

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar
(Edited)

PIZZA!

$PIZZA slices delivered:
joanstewart tipped papilloncharity (x2)
@papilloncharity(1/15) tipped @joanstewart (x3)
wrestlingdesires tipped papilloncharity
papilloncharity tipped wrestlingdesires

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Birds like to get drunk??? I wonder if they get hangovers?

Beautiful pictures as always :)

!PIZZA !ALIVE !LOL !PIMP

This post has been manually curated by the VYB curation project

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Oh yes, party time my friend. Strangely enough, no hangovers and they stay chirper, so maybe the scientists need to search for the gene that avoids hangovers in birds. They will make a fortune with the hangover cure :)

Thank you for the compliment and the curation.

!PIZZA !LOL !LUV

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Really enjoyed your post - thank you. They are spectacular! Truly!

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Glad that you enjoyed the post and thank you for the compliment :)

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

I have always wanted to buy a TELEPHOTO lens for my camera, to be able to take images as beautiful as these, incredible work and the description is very accurate.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

I have a single lens on my camera, with a powerful zoom setting. Canon Powershot SX70HS.
Thank you for the compliment and I am glad that you liked the post.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

First time I read about birds getting drunk. I guess every living thing has the right to do it hahaha. Excellent post, very informative, accompanied by good photos. Regards.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Oh yes, everything has human rights nowadays methinks !LOL
Thank you for your appreciation of the post.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

the first picture is so amazing, the moment is so right.

0
0
0.000
Reply