Yay, for spring. I finally got around to winter sowing my milkweed last week (lol was stratified in the fridge for a couple months) as was visited by a Mourning Cloak, the first butterfly of the season here, as if it was thanking me. Great ideas on the pearly everlasting and pussytoes. I was trying to figure out what to plant in my "ditch" garden. Currently I have globe thistle, fireweed, local prunus and buddleia started. Great bird captures! We are just starting to get them returning. I don't actively invite them in the yard as we have a couple cats that are very good bird hunters. Wish I could help with the rabbits. I live in the country and we can deal with pests in much different and more aggressive ways. I can say that they make great soup. SCG

Mimilm - I only get the Baltimore Orioles for about a month before they head north, but I continue to have Orchard Orioles coming to my backyard throughout the Spring and Summer months. I've had great success by just putting a bowl with grape jelly or blackberry preserves on the railing of my deck. "My" Downy and Red-Bellied Woodpeckers like the jelly/preserves too! And for a special treat, I put fresh grapes in a suet feeder that I've enlarged by pulling the sides out some. Lots of different birds just love the fresh grapes! Kat_in_KS

i have had 4 different hummingbirds show up this week but they have not stayed around. Cold and windy most of the week. the oriole has been back today again. and a couple of grosbeaks have been around today, But if it were me i would go somewhere warm till this cold spell is over

Could that be a Western Tanager? I'm in East Tennessee so I'm going by my Kaufman field guide but it looks similar. Susan