Beware of falling conkers..

[Capt Lightning]

A little amusing incident from our recent holiday..
On a narrow street lined on one side by horse chestnut trees , we found ourselves having to avoid falling chestnuts - conkers as we call them.
On looking more closely, there was a flock of green parakeets pulling the chestnuts from the tree and dropping them. They didn't seem to be eating them or anything - just dropping them randomly - mainly on the cars parked by the roadside.

 

[CarolfromTX]

I wouldn’t doubt the birds were doing it just for fun.

 

[Don M.]

We have several large Walnut trees on our property. and this time of year walnuts begin dropping. I have to be a bit careful when mowing, etc., as getting hit by one of those big nuts is like getting hit by a rock.

 

[RadishRose]

We have several large Walnut trees on our property. and this time of year walnuts begin dropping. I have to be a bit careful when mowing, etc., as getting hit by one of those big nuts is like getting hit by a rock.

Do you gather and eat them? I love walnuts in banana bread.

 

[Don M.]

Do you gather and eat them? I love walnuts in banana bread.

No, I just rake up the majority of them near the base of the trees, and toss them to the edge of the yard for our legions of squirrels to feast on. I once thought about gathering them for sale to the walnut processers, but the wholesale price of raw walnuts hardly justifies the hours of labor needed to make a couple hundred dollars. A few years ago, I gathered and hulled about 50 of them, and roasted them in the oven. They tasted good, but again, the time I spent preparing them was hardly worth the effort.

 

[jujube]

Here in Florida, we have to beware of falling iguanas, at least in far south Florida.

Every few years, there's a cold snap severe enough to put them "to sleep" temporarily and they fall out of the trees on unsuspecting passers-by. Some of them can be big enough to cause serious injury.

 

[RadishRose]

Here in Florida, we have to beware of falling iguanas, at least in far south Florida.

Every few years, there's a cold snap severe enough to put them "to sleep" temporarily and they fall out of the trees on unsuspecting passers-by. Some of them can be big enough to cause serious injury.

Yikes! I don't think I could handle that.

 

[JaniceM]

Around here it's acorns. They're difficult to walk on, and dent cars when people park under the trees.

 

[RadishRose]

No, I just rake up the majority of them near the base of the trees, and toss them to the edge of the yard for our legions of squirrels to feast on. I once thought about gathering them for sale to the walnut processers, but the wholesale price of raw walnuts hardly justifies the hours of labor needed to make a couple hundred dollars. A few years ago, I gathered and hulled about 50 of them, and roasted them in the oven. They tasted good, but again, the time I spent preparing them was hardly worth the effort.

At least your squirrels eat well!

 

[chic]

A little amusing incident from our recent holiday..
On a narrow street lined on one side by horse chestnut trees , we found ourselves having to avoid falling chestnuts - conkers as we call them.
On looking more closely, there was a flock of green parakeets pulling the chestnuts from the tree and dropping them. They didn't seem to be eating them or anything - just dropping them randomly - mainly on the cars parked by the roadside.

Oh oh. Nature is turning against us. First attacking monkeys and now parakeets.