Hey ChickaDDD, I know what you mean about Chicklet's story. He sounds super natural or something. Sleeping on roof, resetting his own arm, Typhoon or something and his birthday. WOW. But like you said if it is true your are surely helping them and thats all that matters. I must have missed it when the unwelcoming committee killed a catbird chick. That is awful!!! And it is not FUN to get rid of HOSP. I dont know why they would say that and it makes me sick. I cant believe they said it was fun, that is disgusting and shows how stupid they are. I hope you dont dislike ME for it but I have seen them with my own eyes terrorize my other birds and not just the cavity nesters, but i dont enjoy it. I just want to save my other birds. They were after Braveheart today when he and Scardycat would try to feed their babies AND they are building two nests in two of my boxes right now :-( When papa tries to bring food they jump him and fall to the ground. It is just pure harassment and today i noticed his right eye was closed up. I dont think it was the HOSP because he was fighting two mockers today too and they probably got fed up with him getting in the middle and decided to kick him around awhile. My blue is insane they are twice his size. But now he will be at risk of hawk attack because he cant see from that side. Ahhhhhhh SIGH. I am having such stress this year with the bluebirds. I love them and all the birds except the HOSP and it is hard on me because I worry so about the birds. My other little sparrows are building in my holly bush that the robins used three times this year ( they were busy ), you know the little ones that i keep blowing there little babies out of the bush. So at least i know where they are this time and wont blow them out. Birds are so funny. She fusses at me every time i go out there but then builds her nest right in my back steps. Go figure :-) Why would they kill a catbird? I dont understand that, it must have been before i joined because i dont remember seeing it. Do you know what month and maybe i can go back and find that post. That is very disturbing, maybe they are just animal killers? Maybe they do enjoy it. They almost had me convinced that the house wrens were evil till Bet got on there. Maybe they kill all birds except bluebirds. That's sick :-( Well im glad you didn't have any little jets get confused and end up in your house today :-) Maybe they realized that outside is where they belong. Hopefully for you and your families sake. All summer without air conditioning is a horrible thought for me. You are a very strong and sweet person to sacrifice your comfort for the little jets. I bet Daisy was hot too with all that hair. My Mary is very hairy like that ( 4 layers of fur ) and she doesn't even like to be outside in the summer. We are very spoiled. Im glad your kitties got bored with the swifts, i know you were blaming yourself for the deaths but you didn't know they were coming so im glad all is good now :-) I better go because this is long but i know i could talk a lot more!!! LOL. She who is to long winded~~~~~~~Bonnie

I'm sure your landscape lures more birds into your yard and makes them feel safer when they are visiting your feeders, Gary-. It's great to hear that you have so many wonderful species coming by. I get quite a few goldfinches at a time, too. They seem happiest in flocks, like the chipping sparrows do. But mine LOVE the thistle sock. They will eat sunflower seeds, etc, from the tray feeder, too, but the sock will sometimes be completely covered by clinging birds. Last year they emptied several completely. And they stayed until they were almost in full breeding plumage. It was fun to watch them go from grayish brown and black to brilliant yellow and black. Yep, they are cheerful little birds that brighten the yard, and I'm always sorry to see them go. But when they have buntings with them, both painted and indigo, it's even better. I noticed last year, btw, that the indigo buntings spent as much time picking through the grass as they did on the feeder tray. They were down there with the chipping sparrows an awful lot. Have you seen that, too? Marcia

Well, since the Common Raven is considered a songbird (the largest in North America), I guess grackles are small in comparison. Be glad you don't have a raven landing on your feeder. I have another possible take on your crows-with-snake event. The crow broods are fledging now in my neighborhood and they're flying all around with non-stop nasal cawing (I flew to this tree! What do I do now? Where is everybody? I'm hungry, feed me!). Maybe your crow is delivering the snake lecture to the kids - "This long skinny floppy thing is dangerous! Watch out! This is how to deal with it!" Just a thought. Claire

The Blackberries, all thornless erect types have turned out to be a really big success. I have Apache, Arapaho and Ouichita. All make large berries and if I have patience to pick when ripe, the fruit is so sweet. Of course the birds and squirrels get their fair share but I don't care as there is plenty for everyone. Another big sucess is the Goumi, also called Cherry Elaeagnus (elaeagnus multiflora). The birds just love them and they come early, before the blueberries here. Dismal flops are two Honeyberry shrubs I had here for years and finially yanked out this summer. The fruit is too aweful for people to eat and there is not much of it. The shrubs were just ugly. The catbirds did eat the berries though. Also the black raspberries I tried out are long gone. I couldn't stand the taste of the fruit and no birds ate it either. The darn things set fruit so heavily I just couldn't believe it but it rotted on the shrubs as no birds or aything ever ate it. A real shame as I would have left some if the animals ate the fruit. I just couldn't stand it and I do like red raspberries. Oh well. Can't be right all the time. Don't get why the birds didn't want them. The serviceberries are doing great and the birds love them. Also, I keep adding Blueberries and the birds love those too (so do I). I am still having problems with my Nanking Cherries. Not once have I ever gotten fruit. Last Spring I yanked out three of the non blooming red Nankings and also yanked out the two Black Nanking Cherries bought from St Lawrence Nursery. This left me with my original Red Nanking (from St Lawrence) which blooms heavily and a small nanking from Raintree. Then I planted three more small red nankings from raintree. I am hoping some of them will bloom together (my old ones did not) so that I can get fruit. The dwarf ground cherries I also planted from St Lawrence have grown into really nice shrubs that friut heavily but the fruits are so sour. They do look good though. I do have some dwarf sour cherry trees so there are real cherries here to eat. Now I am trying to remember when I planted the cherry trees but its been awhile.