Wildcat, your first pics show two different sphinxes. The top pic is that of the tobacco worm, Manduca sexta. However, the bottom pic is that of a white-lined sphinx, Hyles lineata. Lineatas are known to get on tomatoes and grape vines. They are one of the nation's most common [and most beautiful] sphingids as their larval diet is so diversified. One thing to understand about the nightshade-eating sphingids, is that their relationship to Datura and Brugmansia is quite mutualistic, though to us, it looks rather one-sided. Those sphinx larvae or hornworms must have a solanaceous diet and your plants are one thing they can live on. In restropect, those huge, deep-throated flowers are not pollinated by butterflies. Occasionally small wasps can do it, but the sphinx moth [aka hawkmoth or hummingbird moth] are the best pollinators of such blooms. The moths need a lot ofnectar to feed on and the Datura/Brugmansia flower is just the perfect feeder. it's that copious amount of nectar which gives them their famous fragrance, too. The sphinx moth is nocturnal, too. Many Datura bloom best at night, when the moths are active. The benefit to the plants is pollination and ultimately, reproduction, which is worth the price of its foliage, which will grow back in due time. The clearwing sphinx caterpillars are never a pest. The small hornworms feed on honeysuckle among other plants. Their small moths are uniquely diurnal and for protection, mimic the like-sized bumblebees! The sphinxes are truly great insects and are desrving of their place in the yard and garden! I'm glad you did some research on sphingids, Vera. I seriously enjoy rearing these and the beautiful, but non-pollinating saturniids.

I have wondered if not enough or not having the right kind of trees is my problem in getting cardinals to come. I only have evergreens in front yard and those are not the huge kind. I have NO large trees in back yard where I want cardinals....we have lost several due to the soil problem...at least I assume that is the problem. Now we have built my craft cottage (12 X 20 plus front porch) so with the small garden shed and DH's work shop as well as leaving space to park an almost 36 foot 5th wheel we don't have lots of room inside the back fence left for large trees......lol. What to do? The cardinals are around Dawn...at the lake they are abundant. But there are cedar trees everywhere. I always take bird seed when we go to the lake. The cardinals love the black sunflower sees and will eat them any way I serve them....on the ground, patio, grill, feeder, you name it...lol. One was particularly bold last time we were out and he would just come right up to me for me to drop seed on the patio for him. I think he might have gotten bold enough to eat from my hand. I have had them at other places I have lived but this area is not an old area and the trees are not huge yet and not lots of them either. I think the lack of evergreens or fruit bearing trees may be the problem with them but that is just a guess. I do have thick hedge of photinias which are large in my back yard but I need some kind of larger tree...I will have to find where I can plant one....I wish me luck...lol. I am so tired of sparrows....we are way over populated with them and the last few days they come by what seems to be hundreds and are all making racket in the tree next door. I don't recall them ever doing this before and have wondered what is up. Well I will just have to read up on it and find what I can manage do to try to attract them...I just love cardinals and really want to find a way to have them here. We got more rain last night. I am getting so discouraged with our boggy yard. We need to go pick up our new 5th wheel and take ours to trade it in but it HAS to dry up before we can get it out. As soon as we see it has dried we will have to get ours out of the yard while we can. What a problem this is for us right now. I worked all day yesterday packing up everything in the trailer and storing it in my craft cottage....you should see the trails I made in the yard going back and forth...and what a hassle taking off shoes and putting them on each time I went in and out of our trailer to keep from messing it up! I am SICK AND TIRED OF RAIN. I hope it doesn't rain any more for the rest of summer! Looking at the weather forecasts are just plain depressing. I shall stop watching them...they never get it right anyway. They should say "plan for it to rain every day" and be done with it. UGH! Ya'll have a great and DRY day. G.M.

obviously this is a little late, but here is a section of the illinois wildlife code. imho, it includes damaging nests of native and specifically birds of prey. does your state have anything similar? am i wrong? "520 ILCS 5/2.2) (from Ch. 61, par. 2.2) Sec. 2.2. This Act shall apply only to the wild birds and parts of wild birds (their nests and eggs), and wild mammals and parts of wild mammals, which shall include their green hides, in the State of Illinois, or which may be brought into the State, that are hereby defined as follows: All birds, both game and non‑game (except the House Sparrow, Passer domesticus; European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris; and Rock Dove or Domestic Pigeon, Columba livia). GAME BIRDS‑Ruffed grouse, Bonasa umbellus; Sharp‑tailed grouse, Pediocetes phasianellus; Bobwhite quail, Colinus virginianus; Hungarian Partridge, Perdix perdix; Chukar Partridge, Alectoris graeca; Ring‑necked Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus; Greater Prairie Chicken, Tympanuchus cupido; Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo. MIGRATORY GAME BIRDS‑Waterfowl including brant, wild ducks, geese and swans, Anatidae; rails, gallinules and coots, Rallidae; snipe, Gallinago gallinago; woodcock, Scolopax minor; pigeons, including doves and wild pigeons (except domestic pigeons), Columbidae; and crows, Corvidae. RESIDENT AND MIGRATORY NON‑GAME BIRDS‑Loons, Gaviidae; grebes, Podicipedidae; pelicans, Pelecanidae; cormorants, Phalacrocoracidae; herons, bitterns and egrets, Ardeidae; ibises and spoonbills, Threskiornithidae; storks, Ciconiidae; vultures, Carthartidae; kites, hawks and eagles, Accipitridae; ospreys, Pandionidae; falcons, including the Peregrine Falcon, Falconidae; cranes, Gruidae; rails and gallinules, Rallidae; all shorebirds of the families Charadriidae, Scolopacidae, Recurvirostridae and Phalaropodidae; jaegers, Stercorariidae; gulls and terns, Laridae; cuckoos, Cuculidae; owls, Tytonidae and Strigidae; whip‑poor‑wills and nighthawks, Caprimulgidae; swifts, Apodidae; hummingbirds, Trochilidae, Kingfishers, Alcedinidae; woodpeckers, Picidae; kingbirds and flycatchers, Tyrannidae; larks, Alaudidae; swallows and martins, Hirundinidae; crows, magpies and jays, Corvidae; chickadees and titmice, Paridae; nuthatches, Sittidae; creepers, Certhiidae; wrens, Troglodytidae; mockingbirds, catbirds and thrashers, Mimidae; robins, bluebirds and thrushes, Turdidae; gnatcatchers and kinglets, Sylviidae; pipits, Motacillidae; waxwings, Bombycillidae; shrikes, Laniidae; vireos, Vireonidae; warblers, Parulidae; European Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus; blackbirds, meadowlarks and orioles, Icteridae; tanagers, thraupidae; cardinals, grosbeaks, finches, towhees, dickcissels, sparrows, juncos, buntings and longspurs, Fringillidae. GAME MAMMALS‑Woodchuck, Marmota monax; Gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis; Fox squirrel, Sciurus niger; White‑tailed jackrabbit, Lepus townsendii; Eastern cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus; Swamp rabbit, Sylvilagus aquaticus; White‑tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus. FUR‑BEARING MAMMALS‑Muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus; Beaver, Castor canadensis; Raccoon, Procyon lotor; Opossum, Didelphis marsupialis; Least weasel, Mustela rixosa; Long‑tailed weasel, Mustela frenata; Mink, Mustela vison; River otter, Lutra canadensis; Striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis; Badger, Taxidea taxus; Red fox, Vulpes vulpes; Gray fox, Urocyon cineraoargenteus; Coyote, Canis latrans; Bobcat, Lynx rufus. OTHER MAMMALS‑Flying squirrel, Glaucomys volans; Red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus; Eastern Woodrat, Neotoma floridana; Golden Mouse, Ochrotomys nuttalli; Rice Rat, Oryzomys palustris; Bats, Vespertilionidae. It shall be unlawful for any person at any time to take, possess, sell, or offer for sale, any of these wild birds (dead or alive) and parts of wild birds (including their nests and eggs), wild mammals (dead or alive) and parts of wild mammals, including their green hides contrary to the provisions of this Act. However, nothing in this Act shall prohibit bona‑fide public or state scientific, educational or zoological institutions from receiving, holding and displaying "

I know someone who tells me that swallows have been feeding at her hummingbird feeder - in numbers that have actually driven the actual hummingbirds off! The only thing I could think to suggest was to put out a shallow dish with water - perhaps they are actually in need of water rather than the sugar in the solution. I thought swallows were solely insectivores - but maybe not?