shade is impossible to describe by words .... some shade will make your glasses dark .. other shade is like a grotto ... every conifer has an annual growth rate ... e.g. a juniper that will grow 6 inches per year ... which would be in full sun .... as you decrease the intensity of the sunlight thru shade... you will reduce vigor .. which means the growth rate ... you will also.. most likely end up with a sparser plant.. rather than full and robust ... nothing will really die in shade [leaving out the dark grotto] .. it just might not perform to your expectations .. sooooo .... find something you like.. that fits the spot.. and give it a try .... and if it works it works.. and if it doesnt.. move it ...you will know within a few years ... ken

The female heron was attacked by a Great Horned Owl twice, early in the morning on April 8 and 9, while she was incubating the eggs. She wasn't noticeably harmed and the eggs are OK. No attack this morning. A little unpleasant reality injected into the pastoral scene. Cornell posted a video on YouTube. Great Horned Owl attacks Great Blue Heron in Sapsucker Woods Claire

Thanks, Karen, for the excellent site. Wow! I had no idea that sparrows were so predatory! For now, we put a piece of duct tape over the hole. I noticed the sparrows hanging around and on top of it. Hopefully, they will go elsewhere. Is it actually possible to drive them from the property permanently? I'm wondering if the nesting box is even a good place for bluebirds. It's close to our house - will that deter them? There are shrubs around it which may attract the sparrows. I have a lot to learn about bluebirds and the SIALIS site is a good place to start.

I don't think this is a Blue Jay nest. Everything I can find says Blue Jay eggs are spotted. This below is from the Birds of North America account for the Blue Jay. Ground color highly variable, including various shades of bluish, olive, buff, and light brown. Spots of various shades of brown, cinnamon, rufous, vinaceous, usually concentrated near the larger end. BN