Hi Janet, I would love your thistle socks. I can trade u plants or seeds - let me know. I don't have any from your list so let me know what you're looking for. I'll be dividing plants as soon as this heat wave passes. And I have plenty of seeds available, too. Thanks, Cindy in Maryland

You can always try hanging the feeders independent of the trees. A post set into the ground with hooks for the feeders or the shepherd's crooks they sell specifically for this purpose would prevent any damage hanging feeding appliances directly to a tree might incur. As to the pros and cons of feeding birds.......I agree with Dan on this one. Expanding development has restricted/removed many of the natural habitats and food sources and encouraging birds to the garden is overall a very good thing - they are the best natural insect control available! Plus, they are infinitely entertaining. Planting to encourage habitat and to supplement food sources is desirable, but nothing wrong with feeders either. They can bring the birds up close and personal :-)) If you want songbirds, try a "no-waste" mix. Even if it gets scattered on the ground, it gets eaten too fast to hang around to attract rodents. And sapsucker damage to trees is generally more cosmetic than particularly harmful. Since they have a 'preferred' tree menu, you can always avoid attracting them by not planting the trees they like. And as they tend to limit their diet to insects and tree sap, with supplementation from fruits and berries - the seed feeders are unlikely to create additional problems.

tnjoseph....they lay one egg per day until the clutch is complete. Check tomorrow afternoon, you should see another egg. Don't check in the morning as that is typically when they lay eggs. Knock sofly on the box before opening or talk a bit so she knows you are coming if she is in there. Once she is done laying she will start incubating..incubation typically starts the day the last egg is laid. Incubation is normally 12-14 days and then hatching occurs. Typically 14 days is the norm. Once hatched the nestlings are in the box 16-19 days before they fledge. You can look to make sure all is ok but don't open the box after day 13 to prevent premature fledging. Agree with Nicknack...get a spooker up asap! Glad to hear you got so many HOSP..hopefully they don't bother you anymore. Donna

i had five fledgling lewis's woodpeckers this spring and when the parents brought them to the feeders the young ones tried every feeder i had including the nyjer and the necter feeders and the jelly dishes. but it did not take them long to pick their favorites most of them prefer the nuts and sunflower seeds and the cracked corn and suet blocks. but there are a couple that still eat the grape jelly and drink the sugar water and love to peck on watermelon rinds. but none of them did more than try the nyjer sock.