"Something" also ate my entire new rose bed. Every new rose (about 15 roses) had buds or new blooms last Thursday evening and Friday morning each bush looked like a weedeater had clipped off the buds. I just about cried. I was SO hoping to see my new Pope John Paul in bloom. I believe it was deer that ate mine but I guess it could have been rabbits or squirrels as we have all of those. I read on this forum that Liquid Fence is the only reliable thing to repel deer so RAN to Lowes/HD/Walmart only to find they don't carry it in my stores. I finally found it at a farmer's co- op place. Liquid Fence directions say to spray each week for 3 weeks to "train" the deer to stay away. As an added precaution I also bought some brand of spray that you put directly on the plants to repel rabbits, squirrels and supposedly deer (a little worried about putting it on my roses but did it anyway). Most repellents have egg products in it and I think "Capcain" (may be spelling that wrong). So far I haven't seen the neighborhood deer but I only have one plant with a bud on it right now so I'm keeping a cautious eye on that one. For some reason , my other beds in the back and side yards were not eaten at all but they've all been given the Liquid Fence treatment as well.

There are usually a few berries and seed pods left here and there and in a pinch, they'll eat buds on trees and scavenge whatever is available. In many cases, the nutritional values are so low that they have to eat constantly to keep their caloric content high enough to generate enough internal warmth to keep from freezing. In other cases, some birds spend quite a bit of time storing acorns and other seeds like pine nuts in tree cavities for winter use. It helps to remember that birds are very mobile and unlike humans who tend to see only what is immediately around us, they will expand their normal territories until some type of food is found. Steve

Robins,waxwings,catbirds,mockingbirds,blue jays, cardinals, mourning doves, grouses and bobwhites, and wild turkey...Expect anything, really.. Dogwood is a favorite of bluebirds, and other birds such as waxwings, woodpeckers, thrashers,cardinals,yellow-rumped warblers, robins, thrushes, turkey, quails and even wood ducks!

Oh Tom, I just checked yesterday to see how I could attract some Orioles to my farm. Just curious what area of 9b you're in? I'm also 9b between Orlando and Ocala. I would be thrilled to see an Oriole here. I just added another (4th) feeder yesterday in another area of my yard, due to the cold. So many birds congregate these past few cold mornings. Sultry, I've had bluebirds here the past few years and they are so fun to watch. The bluebirds love some water feature for mini-baths and drinking. they flock to my nearest pasture when I overflow the horse water tub. And I've also added a couple bluebird houses this year. They nested in past years inside one of those big fake owl plastic statues attached to my barn roof peak. they actually pecked a hole in the chest of it to make their nest inside. The storms blew off the head so I've got to get a big ladder out and glue it back on before spring.