Top tips on blaeberry picking

You could, I guess, be thinking that as a terrier and thus by nature more of a hunter than a gatherer, I might not be best qualified to offer my human friends advice on picking berries...

However, this is the time of year when the blaeberries* are ripe on Scottish hills and heathland, and for three years in a row now I have accompanied Gail on her annual blaeberry harvesting expedition, thus I feel I can lay claim to some expertise in this matter.

So here are my top three simple tips (and if you do not have the good fortune to live in a part of world where blaeberries thrive, then please note my tips may be broadly relevant to other forms of foraging for free food).

• When going berry picking, your best companion is a  patient dog (perhaps a wire-haired fox terrier?)

• It is advisable to avoid harvesting berries directly beside the path, as these are most likely to have been 'marked' by previous canine visitors

• Humans should either wear an old pair of trousers, or look carefully where they kneel...

Hmmm, not a bad haul. Blaeberry pancakes for breakfast anyone?

*In Scotland 'blaeberry', in England  'bilberry', also 'European blueberry', and to botanists 'Vaccinium myrtillis'

A berry well behaved pup

I am not sure whether Gail saying "at least there's one area where your behaviour is better than Bertie's was" is a compliment or an insult. But I'm a cup half full kind of a pup, so I'll assume the former. One learns to take what one can get. 

Out and about in the Aberdeenshire countryside, we have an abundance of berries right now, and I'm discovering that my owner is a borderline obsessional forager for free food.

 
I am quite happy to sniff around in the undergrowth while Gail risks lacerating her arms on the prickly brambles in order to hunt down the early blackberries, keeps a keen eye out for the last of the raspberries, and kneels on the damp earth to pick the abundant and apparently very tasty little blaeberries*.

I stay patiently close by despite not being on my lead, and I do not get bored and run off as was the habit of my predecessor. 

In addition to the edible berries, I want to show you how vibrant the rowan trees look right now.

And of course, since this is Scotland, we can always find you a fine display of heather.

Happy Nature Friday friends! Do join in the fun with the LLB Gang's always wonderful blog hop. 

*Blaeberries in Scotland = bilberries in England. These berries are related but not identical to the American blueberry. The blaeberry is smaller and more flavourful but also more easily damaged and thus not generally grown commercially.