Thanks for the input so far, guys! I neglected to mention that I already have Papa Meilland, Chrysler Imperial, and Deep Secret. All of them have their flaws. I'm eager for big, shapely blooms. Used to grow Veteran's Honor and Mr. Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln was my favorite in the Pacific Northwest, but down on the Gult Coast it grew 8 feet all for me--awkward--and blooms blue and blow too fast in our heat. Much like the others I mentioned in that regard. Veteran's Honor and Mr. Lincoln I left behind when I moved years ago. I've had a potted garden ever since (the past decade) as I rent and literally utilize concrete driveway space for my pot garden. I would like Vet's Honor again, but I'll need a biiiiigggg pot, it's so robust. Maybe on its own roots? I actually found VH reasonably fragrant--love that raspberry scent, kinda unusual in a rose. So what I'm hearing is that I have purchased an OK but probably forgettable rose. lol, oh well, I at least expect Tahitian Sunset to make up for it. : ) I may give up on the fragrance angle altogether, since I have Papa M and Chrysler, and try the scentless florist rose Vino Rossi. Any opinions? If not, maybe VH.

Three Indian Ringnecks, a Meyer's Parrot, a Pacific Parrotlet, a pet American Parakeet and a colony of 'keets. Got an albino female living in the nest box, right now. Hopefully we've got some eggs in there!!! I've heard yellow-napes are the best talkers of all the amazons! Would love to see a pic. Feel free to email me one!!! Carolyn

And today's hawk is... maybe the same sharpie? It landed on the rose just outside my kitchen window and only stayed for a minute or less - just enough time for me to grab the camera which was close by. My impression was that the hawk was smaller than the usual Cooper's I see here, but that's hard to judge. This is the best shot I got of the tail; not very good Full face but without the breast. Profile. Head is maybe more rounded than the Cooper's here. The back is brown, not gray, so I figured it's a juvenile, but there's no obvious cap with a lighter nape if it happens to be an adult. When it took off I got the only look at the belly which looks more like an adult with a barred pattern. A lousy shot but the bird didn't cooperate. Today is the first day of my Project FeederWatch weekly count so I also emailed PFW with the pics. Just for comparison with a juvenile Cooper's Hawk, this pic was taken on 11/25/11 in the same position outside my kitchen window. Claire This post was edited by claire on Mon, Mar 11, 13 at 15:49

The major bullies at my feeders are the mockingbirds. I have one who comes by now and then just to perch on one of the feeders and run off any other birds who attempt to land, and he's not even interested in the food that's that feeder! However, last fall I witnessed a "Gun Fight at the OK Corral"---a face off between the mockingbird and the red-belly over a platform feeder with lots of good nuts, fruit and seeds. After a lengthy stare-down, the red-belly won the day--the mockingbird capitulated and flew away.