We had two pairs of catbirds show up this spring and we don't always. I noticed that at least one pair was building a nest, but not sure about the other pair. Then about a week later, I noticed a catbird sitting outside my window singing the prettiest song. I didn't know they could do that. We have a strawberry patch this year and I think that is what attracted them. But the funniest thing I've seen, is that they were actually eating a tomato off one of my plants. It was a 'Mountain Princess' and I held the plant over the winter too long and it already had two tomatoes on it when I planted it out. They ripened already and that is early for my area. One day I saw one of the red tomatoes on the ground next to the plant with a chunk missing. I left it there and noticed over the next two days, more and more of it went missing. I didn't know what was doing it. Then one day, I was watching from the house and saw a catbird make his way over to the tomato and start pecking at the tomato that was still on the plant. I was amazed. They apparently ate the whole thing because it disappeared. So I did see the catbird eat the tomato with my own eyes. So far he has not touched the orange Sungold cherries that are ripening. Maybe he just likes red ones. [g] I don't mind. I had more than enough tomatoes last year. I think I'll have enough to share and I do like having the catbirds in the garden. I let them have their fill of strawberries when we were done with them. So, we're sharing, but I draw the line at blueberries. I have that bush already netted.

Catbird; It will be nice to mee you at the swap.Maybe you'll like it so much you'll be a regular :O). I'd be interested in your blue anise sage & hardy geranium.Please check my trade page & under the post"New List" on this forum. See you sat! Jan

That's a beautiful viburnum in the above post! I am trying to landscape for wildlife in my yard, and this has been such a useful thread! So far, in my yard, a large holly seems to be the "favorite" of most wildlife. The birds use it for shelter year round, and it comes alive with bees in the spring when it flowers. Much of the recent plantings I have made (I only moved into my current house ~3 years ago) haven't been super succesful in attracting wildlife. I suspect the problem is that my yard is in the midst of a suburban residential area that almost entirely consists of manicured, empty green lawns. Maybe my lone yard, diversely planted as it is becoming, just isn't enough attraction for most wildlife? Birds in particular seem few and far between, though I do notice a variety of bees and other pollinators in the spring. Sadly, my neighbor just cleared out all the undergrowth and brush in a small patch of woods on his property because, as he told me, he was "afraid of snakes." I am worried that the brush pile I am trying to create on my own property will not last long...the folks in this neighborhood like to complain about any landscaping that deviates from the manicured norm. But I am trying! Claire

Yup, suet blocks, peanut butter nuggets & sunflower hearts, they are eating it all. These guys must have been traveling together, stopped and my feeders and all decided to stay. Only thing those catbirds haven't started eating is the niger thistle in the gold finch feeder. Funny, the gold finches arenow spending more time at the sunflower heart feeder than at theirs w/ the thistel.