Cats kill for fun. That is only your opinion. Robins have decided they like my raspberries so I gave their eggs to the local chipmunk-- that was for fun. I am sure we both enjoyed it. I'm not sure if this is a joke or not, but if so, it wasn't a good one, and rather immature. Robins are a native species, and belong here doing what they do, so your analogy has no merit. As for the cats killing for fun, it is indeed my opinion, and also a fact for most, but not all, cats. I know farmers who obtain cats for rodent control, and most say that the cats couldn't care less about rodents, that they go after birds instead. Then there is my parents, who live in a very rural area. The nearest farm building is over a mile away, yet they keep getting the farm cats killing birds at their feeders, which I've witnessed while there. Pretty easy to form an opinion when you have actual facts, but then again, facts don't matter when you don't agree, right? Noinwi makes a good point that humans have created this problem. Sure, it's not fair to the cats to suffer the consequences, but it's not fair to the house sparrows, starlings, asian carp, feral pigs, emerald ash borer, or any other non-native species that gets killed or trapped either. Yet, nobody will defend those species, or post sarcastic remarks in their defense. All in all, I don't care which way people choose to deal with cats, but passive methods will usually end in failure, as they have for me over and over. The problem never goes away until the PROBLEM goes away. Joe

Sounds like your neighbor might be using tray feeders so the Mourning Doves have been multiplying like crazy. The only bold Robin-sized bird I know with a speckled breast is a Brown Thrasher, but they are shy of people. Note long tail, light wing bars, reddish coloring, yellow eyes From 7-24-08, Birds and mammals on Poppy Mnt From 8-1-17, 2008, Birds at Hanlon Farm There are also Wood Thrushes, but those are woodland birds and very shy. Note round breast spots, white eye ring, short tail, brown color From 4-27-09 Other than trying to persuade your neighbors to switch to thistle tube feeders (why I'm SO glad there are no "bird lovers" living in our area to throw out cheap food and attract trash birds) you might try those new motion detector fake Great Horned Owls I've seen advertised. Here's the lowest price I can see http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Gardener-8021-Defense-Electronic/dp/B000FJRSOW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1245161400&sr=8-1

WTG, Claire! Good bird mother. That's a happy thrush. Glad your power stayed on. What a relief. I can't answer nhbabs's curiosity about why we Southerners only see Hermit Thrushes in the winter, but after checking my 'Thrushes' folder, yup, all the pictures are in winter. They must summer in NH and winter in the flatlands, I guess. Today is the first time I was able to capture a RB Woodpecker twice in flight after leaving the suet cage. Downloaded a free copy of GIMP, (a free rendition of Photoshop) and tried to superimpose the two pictures. I need practice, but here it is: Jane This post was edited by corunum on Tue, Jan 27, 15 at 16:29

I think soil amendments and other care is more likely a problem, rather than alkalinity, in growing rugosas in Southern California. You are probably right Ingrid that most roses planted here are not planted in strictly native soil. But mine are because I want roses that like the natural conditions here. And from what I've read on rugosas, they like lean, sandy, fast draining soil. That is precisely what I have. Those that seem to get into trouble with rugosas (and some others such as Reine des Violettes--Jon in Wessex, England, grows his on chalk, which is ultra alkaline, without chlorosis) amend the soil, heavily mulch, fertilize often, and repeatedly add acidifiers to the soil. I've never used an acidifier to the soil for my roses. It is too alkaline to grow things such as blueberries (many in the neighborhood have tried unsuccessfully for years). But rugosas look fine. I have 9 different rugosas and none seem to have any trouble with the soil/conditions in my garden. Some are even grafted on multiflora (from Pickering, and that includes Wild Edric), which doesn't seem to matter. There is a theory that these roses do not to like alkaline soil, but I think this theory is flawed. I haven't had any problems, yet I don't do anything to prevent them. Here's a photo of Wasagaming, in between Reine des Violettes and the hybrid tea Limelight. All are in very sandy, lean soil up close to, and in the root zone of a huge ash tree (trunk is around 4 feet in diameter). No soil amendments for any of them when planted. No mulch except what they get from the ash tree's leaves. Fed occasionally with diluted fish emulsion. Nothing else. Water from the garden hose. Surrounded by native California salvias which would not tolerate rich treatment. Sorry, this was a vertical picture and Houzz turned it sideways. RdV is at the bottom, the small plant in the middle with the white tag is Wasagaming, the green leaved rose at the top is Limelight. Foliage on the rugosa Snowden (own root from Heirloom): Foliage on the rugosa Polareis (grafted on multiflora from Pickering): Foliage on the rugosa Frau Dagmar Hartopp (own root from High Country Roses), arrived September 2014 and was baked in shipment like Wasagaming. I have her in a tomato cage to protect from canine friends: Foliage and blooms on the rugosa Wild Edric (grafted on multiflora from Pickering):