This was the thread that helped me put a name to the style of garden that I love best. I have been working towards the cottage style for many years and never get tired of the evolution of it. Loved reading them all again today. Cheryl

Yuck. I thought swarming ants were the same as flying ants. Maybe there are multiple varieties. They used to come to one corner of our garage, but the exterminator discouraged that behavior. Time to buy sugar ant traps - one good warm rain and they pop in. Look who made the front page of our local paper when looking for more bird food. Not my house. Good looking fellow. And after hearing the hawks flying low for a number of days carrying branches over our house, I saw her fly into the nest to sit on her babies-to-be. This is as close as I can get 2 yards away without bothering her. That's her tail. Must be the red-shouldered hawk. Red-tail hawk flying over our house. Here is a red-shouldered hawk out back scanning for food. Red-shouldered in our yard grocery shopping. Also in our yard checking her grocery list-to-be. A bit of a rest in a maple. Jane (edited to reflect correct bird ID)

The good news is very good, Jane! And the bad news isn't so bad since it will prevent future problems/bird invasions. It's snowing now (the first measurable snow of this winter) and the birds are dealing with it. It's not so deep that they can't reach the birdseed and besides I threw a lot of birdseed under some hollies where the snow won't fall. Doves and a song sparrow: Cardinal, white-throat and a house finch plus an unidentifiable bird. About a dozen red-winged blackbirds appeared today but most of them found the seed under the hollies. These are feeding under a feeder. In a normal winter I'd have gone out and shoveled for the birds but I expect this snow to be melted and/or washed away before it prevents them from feeding. Claire - who couldn't stand it and just went out and swept the snow to make it easier for the birds.

Two out of the three hummingbird feeders are up. Now, the waiting game. Last year I saw my first ones on May 7. I don't have a clear view of the porch feeders from my reading chair inside so I need to get up and go to the window but in better (warmer) weather when I'm out on the porch they are up close and personal. There is one feeder on each end of the porch, about 90 feet apart. The third goes on the wisteria covered pergola at the end of the front walk, maybe 50 feet away. It makes a nice triangle - or racetrack - for them to zoom around and play. I suspect that a nest(s) are somewhere in the cedar hedge nearby that separates my property from the next door neighbor but haven't been able to find them. I do enjoy watching other birds but I'm still very much a novice. The more flamboyant birds I recognize easily, it's the more common ones that still look alike to me that I have no confidence in my IDs. I'm just learning what to look for. Our local Nature Conservancy has been a big help to me and I have many field guides. I also enjoy learning about interesting facts and behaviors that birds exhibit. I'm a big fan of crows because that's just about all I see in the winter. I decided that I'd learn to like what I have and that's been fun. One spring the crows alerted me to a barred owl that was sitting on some patio furniture on my front lawn. What a fuss they made swarming and screeching - the numbers were incredible. Another time a persistent crow let me know that there was something trapped In the downspout of the garage. DH was able to dismantle it and rescue a baby squirrel that had slipped into it and couldn't get out. Excellent! Sorry for such a wordy post!