Wow that's cool Verena, snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) are a tender perennial, so I guess yours had a nice easy winter and are ready to get going again. If they last through spring freeze/thaw, they should flower for you again no problem - I wouldn't rely on seeing them back every year though. I was really surprised to see my thyme (Thymus vulgaris as far as I know) still alive in its pot on my deck this spring - I didn't think it would overwinter around here especially in a pot. This was the easiest winter I can remember, for warm temps combined with heavy snow cover... we must have had about a zone 6 winter I think. My Rosa gallica versicolour has emerged from the snow, with only tiny tip freeze where it poked out of its burlap... looks promising! But the offical report of the OBRHD will not be until May ;0)

dera kristen,The bird I saw in greentree (i also saw one in my yard ) was huge-Id been to our avairy once & seen a bald eagle-it wasnt that big!!but it was not a red tail hawk,or a peragrine falcon-Im familar w those from living in Pgh almost my whole life-Ive never seen a bird like this,but saw it twice when i was pregnant w my son who is now 18 months old(i bought a digital cam in case it returns too)It was two or three times the size of our falcons it could have easily taken my 15 lb (fat) cat who was outside staring at it ,as it ate a rat in a tree,it had a predator brak(looked very sharp ripping up a rat) silvery chest feathers & golden shoulders(i could only see its front)& it stood about 3 ft high-ive never seen a pic of a golden eagle,but it was definately an eagle of some sort-it was magnificent!!!-we first saw one while driving to parkway center mall(on a dead tree that sticks out of the woods on greentree rd & ridgemont),& saw one the same fall in my yard,in a tree,I was supposed to be on total bedrest w my pregnancy,but Pat helped carry me outside,so that I wouldnt miss this unbelivable bird!we even bought a camera in case we ever see it again,I checked pics of falcons in case,but as i thought ,it was much to big to have been a falcon-whatever it was,we havent had a pigeon problem since:) we used to be plauged w pigeons clogging our feeder-maybe thats what attracted it to my yard?Anyway that year our pigeon problem disappeared.I would love to know what that bird was,I really believe it was some kind of an eagle,if i ever see it again I will get pics,as this was a most unusual sighting of an unusual feathered friend!I will google for a pic of a golden eagle as im not familiar w them,maybe thats the bird? I can check for a pic & will let you know,I still look for it every weekend,when we drive my son to the yugio tournament at parkway center mall-we cant keep our camera in the car anymore(our car got stolen last year w 2 cameras in it) but I would drive home & get it if i see it again this year.PS does your monarda get powdery mildew ? mine have it so bad Ive pulled most of it up-i only had pink & purple too-maybe the hummingbirds dont like it?this year,Im planning a strategy,Im getting more salvias from TX(i missed bringing mine in & they froze!!),planted agastaches,lobelias(red & blue) planted penstemons,& am having red cypress vine seeds & red glads to go w the perennial foxgloves that i brought from moms house(SHE GOT HUMMINGBIRDS!!) ,I also planted delphenium(may have to replace if they dont make it,i planted so late)& texas red star hibiscus-& Im also adding red trumpet vine.if i dont get hummingbirds this year I will be upset,where should i place my feeders? Pat said they need shade,but if i plant them under my tree,the hummers wont see them,will they? He also said to move the feeders further from the house-mine is about 10 ft from my kitchen door,does placement matter?Im really willing to do or grow anything to get these birds-I saw some at my neighbors torch lily when i moved here,i planted torch lily-nothing!!!maybe I should visit the avairy!!!We all went once & the birds there are amazing!!I never realised the size of the bald eagles!!massive!!!A lady i knew had a job there feeding them-she said they eat on fine china?true or not? she was such an idiot that she lost that great job,so i didnt know if i should believe her or not?well thanks again for your informative response..I will check for a golden eagle pic,as that might be my mystery bird!!...jean

Hi Azura, I have the book Birds of Denver and the Front Range that was given to me by my brother who owns a Wild Bird Supply store in Illinois, but I find I use my original book far more often. Sometimes I use the Denver book, but its more for a cross reference to compare pictures. My "main" book is A Guide to Field Identification Birds of North America by Golden Press, New York and I like the pictures and the way its set up better. That book was also given to me by my brother when I first started bird watching (now called birdingbut I still prefer bird watching!) There are other Colorado birding books available, but I dont know anything about them. Heres a list of the Most Frequently Seen Birds of the Denver Area which can be really helpful when youre first starting to identify them and trying to eliminate all the ones in the "complete" bird book that arent even a possibility. The ones youll see most often around here are House Sparrows (not really sparrows!), House Finches, Black-capped Chickadees, Pigeons & Doves, Blackbirds, Blue Jays, several different Juncos when theyre migrating thru in spring and fall (and sometimes in winter), and, especially if you put suet out, Flickers, Hairy Woodpeckers, and Downy Woodpeckers. Oh, and Robins, of courseI have them all winter. If you put out some feeders youll see a lot more birds than if you just watch for them, but I recommend staying away from millet or "all purpose" bird seed as it just attracts dozens and dozens of House Sparrows that will keep many other birds away. I recommend safflower seed, thistle seed, black oil sunflower seed and suet. That will get you at least all of the birds I mentioned above (except the House Sparrows), and many more, but just not as many of each. I love to watch the chickadees, but still havent attracted much of a following at this house, which is only a couple miles away from my last house where I had lots of them. But little by little theyre showing up. If you put the feeders near deciduous trees, thatll help even more. Heres a link to the best online bird identification site Ive found. Click on "all birds." AND, if youve never heard of it before, heres a link to Bird Cam where you can watch Eagles, Falcons, Kestrels, Ospreys, and Owls laying their eggs and raising their young. Its fascinating to check in on them every now and then. Check out the Eagle Cam. They should be laying their eggs pretty soon. Just in case all you see when you go there is an empty nest, remember that these are live cams, and the Eagles come and go! Enjoy our feathered relatives, Skybird (without the feathers!)

Hi Gail, This week, on a small island in the middle of the St-Lawrence river, 30 miles north of Quec city, two birders count 67 Great gray Owls. I do think it is an all time record for the province. So many GGO in such a small territory( about 2 miles width and 3 long) Luc