Wine For Wildlife

Its that time of the year when nature's bounty begins to show. With fall fast approaching evidence can be seen everywhere. From wild apple trees with their tart fruit ( many which are heirloom species  and no longer grown commercially) to wild grapes.
I took this picture of wild grapes while marking a woodlot recently. Wild grapes are a funny plant. Like the fruit they produce they are bittersweet to me. At times they can be a real nuisance - growing high into the crown of a nice hardwood crop tree - and ultimately snuffing the life out of it. These mature grape plants grew up with the tree since its days as a sapling. The tree's life consisted of being a natural trellis if you will. Other times I see the plant when they are young and existing in not so destructive of a manner, and its then that I realize how important they to wildlife.
Grapes produce fruit from late August  to October. Numerous songbirds along with the occasional mammal such as foxes rely heavily on grapes for sustenance. Once ripe, their fruit usually goes quickly. Although found throughout New England its rare for wild grapes to be found outside of the more southern parts of New England states. Rarely is it found, if ever, in the northern confines of New Hampshire, Vermont or Maine. Within those states its range is the southern portions - mainly river bottom areas. As mentioned earlier, their fruit is usually eaten before snow hits the ground. However occasionally a pocket will hang on longer than usual. However, once the bitter cold hits and wildlife is ravenous, they will be discovered and eaten.
I distinctly remember hunting  ruffed grouse, one late December, in the Finger Lakes region of New York. It was a bitterly cold day. I flushed and shot a grouse as it exited this tangle of vines. Its flight pattern was not your normal  quick - up and away. Instead it was rather sluggish and meandering. Upon opening its crop, I  discovered it crammed with wild grapes. This late in the season they were very fermented. This grouse was enjoying the buzz and was all set to roost the night away in an inebriated state, until I came along. This is why I refer to wild grapes as  wine for wildlife.