It looks like Chasmanthe. Here is a link that might be useful: images

Deebs, I have 5 trees planted, 2 in the back, but it'll be awhile before they get large enough for the birds to nest in them. They used to use my large climbers too. With all the cats they'd have to make them up really high. One is a redwood though hitting close to 20 feet tall now, not as easily climbed so maybe. I can't distinguish really between all the worms on the roses, most eat holes through the buds and eat the roses, others the foliage too. I'd like to think the ones I miss are eatting aphids:) Duchesse, they tried to petition the subdivision owner on the claim they didn't know the ponding basin was going to be there. That's a lie, I went through the same process they did to pick the house I wanted. It was right there on the site plan and the layout. In fact we paid extra to get a larger lot to be sort of behind it, about 20ft. They bought their houses knowing that was behind them, they were all sold at a premium price for that much yard. They wanted the basin filled in. Won't happen, by city law there has to be a basin at each new subdivison for the water to go when it rains to help on flooding. The only activity I ever see at the basin area is a couple times a year they come through with a tractor and take out all the weeds. The basin is home to mud ducks and others and geese off and on all year. I like to hear the honks and bullfrogs over dogs barking anytime. I think some of them walk around and squish them on purpose. I saw one of the neighbors vacuuming them up with one of those shop vacs one year. These are all relatively young people that have never owned a home before. They have no idea what they're suppressing and the price they'll pay. They just want to complain about nature. This was a walnut orchard and home to all the birds in the past. I imagine there are so many toads because nature is responding to the masses of white flies. I imagine over time the number will diminish especially with all the poisons/chemicals they'll put out on their yards and bushes. Sorry, pet rant:) I've admired your roses and gardens Patricia, I'm only resistant because they've already ruined those roses, I can't reclaim that now. It's too late. That one rose in the pics above is Irresistible, a mini. There isn't a bud that doesn't look like that. I found 14 ladybugs on it yesterday. The white looking bush behind it is a floribunda hitting over 5' tall for size on this rose. You can barely see the canes behind the redwood even taller. This was last night and these bushes just don't photo well for me in the sun and not enough light, but it gives you an idea of how large. I did try the flour on some of them yesterday skipping where the ladybugs were. That was almost as much fun as blasting with water, some were startled into flight. Some washed off easier, but others are crammed into every nook and cranny of the buds and leaves and new growth. It irritated the bees, lucky they don't like me:) As far as Murphy's Law goes, I was too pleased with early spring and all the healthy looking bushes. I was last year too and spider mites devastated them about this time. So, yeah you better knock on wood, LOL* I know what you're talking over on the Hover Bees but I think they're called something else, Deebs, still I have all different colored ones. Dark green, light green, stripped not stripped. This one had stripes too, from last year's infestation:) I have a terrible memory so if I find one of these, I kill them. Thanks for all the help, I do appreciate all the advice and thoughts on this. Patricia I may yet resort to that spray.

Ian, those are sapsuckers. They do not girdle the trees although it looks pretty close sometimes. They are drilling for sap, much like tapping a maple to make syrup, except the sapsuckers eat the insects that are attracted to the sap. Hummingbirds also I've heard are attracted to the sapsucker holes for the insects. It looks like it must be damaging, and it's definitely an open wound, but I've never seen a tree killed or seriously damaged by sapsuckers, and they're pretty birds. They go for the sweet-sapped trees mainly like birch and alder and aspen and maple. Are birds 'good' or 'bad' for trees?? aren't they pretty much made for each other?? Trees live in a world filled with birds, and birds live in a world filled with trees. Although trees as a whole predate birds by millions of years, trees and birds get along pretty well together, and they've lived together for much longer than we've been around. It's a myth that birdfeeders will spoil the birds so they won't eat insects. Most insect eating birds don't eat birdseed, for one thing. Conversely, birdfeeders don't attract most insect eating birds except for chickadees. Suet feeders, and birdbaths most of all, will attract more of the insect eaters. The weight of birds damaging trees? I wouldn't think so. Birds don't weigh hardly anything, their bones are hollow, and under those feathers there's hardly any bulk left, it's all fluff. And birds get off if a branch sways too much under their weight. Birds need trees, and trees need birds. I agree that the trees seem cheered by birds in them, even when the birds are eating all the flower buds so fruit won't set. That's what the finces do to my cherry trees, they gather by the dozens just as the flower buds are swelling, but who cares? finches are pretty and sing nice, and there's too many tiny little cherries on these trees anyway, they're a nuisance, might as well go to the birds as drop stones on the lawn for me to step on and the dogs to eat and plug up their guts. I read once that in Europe it's considered a good omen if a bird lights on a newly planted tree. Sounds like you have a yard full of good omens. Are you keeping a life list of the birds you see?

here anyway the chickadees head for the foothills and mountains in spring when it starts warming up and they mostly stay up where its cooler and where there are lakes and resevoirs unti the fall weather starts moveing them back down to the valleys. one reason chickadees find new feeders first is that they are very curious and friendly and don't fly away when you are out in the yard. some birds are attracted by colors also and many songbirds flock to flowers and bright colored feeders but also eat lots of insects that are around plants and flowers and gardens