That is absolutely not poison ivy. I'm not exactly sure what it is, it kind of looks like Clematis. Someone else will know. But it's nothing to worry about.

Craig, I seem to have a similar infestation as that which you described in your original posting on this GardenWeb site back in December. My front yard has a single large 36"+ diam. red oak right smack in the middle of it and it is the centerpiece of the yard, not to mention that it's also, by far, the largest tree in my entire yard. The symptoms I am noticing sound very much like the ones you were describing, and they are slowly spreading. Did you get that beetle looked at that you found? ..or did you find any treatment, rather than felling, for the problem? I have several messages with pictures submitted to arborists, the forestry service, and the ISA. While I am awaiting responses, I have been looking over symptomologies on numerous sites and am fairly convinced that I have Ambrosia Beetles.. possibly Asian. Chances are that the beetle you found in your maple is different than the ones that bore oaks, but according to many of the pro's, they, like most beetles, may be treatable with chlorpyrifos. Incidently, after reading that entire forum, I feel compelled to mention that, without regard to others' defensive remarks in this little group, a couple of the responses that you were given (namely heptacodium and ken) were nothing less than downright rude, sarcastic and callous. You were only trying to save your tree... and if you werent able to do so, then the advice of trying to save seed (by alabamatreehugger) was the only thoughtful response in the bunch. Hope to hear from you! :) ~Adam

I'm a bit puzzled as to why this 2 1/2 year old thread has popped up again, but I do appreciate all the photography expertise that everyone has shared. PM2, there's a second thread that came after this one if you'd like more info, linked below. I ended up getting a Nikon Coolpix P600 which has a 60x zoom (a bit longer than the 50x Cannon which I also checked out) which I like for long shots of critters in the field. I followed Jane's advice to go and hold a bunch of cameras and try them out, and found both the Canon and the Nikon comfortable, though the Nikon is a bit larger. The Nikon is also slower processing images to get ready for another shot than the Cannon, I think. I am still just beginning to learn to use it, largely using it on the standard landscape setting, though I have started checking out the different options and menus. I most often use it to take photos of critters and scenes we've spotted when we were inside since that's where it's easily available, though I also take it with me when I am going outside specifically to take photos. As Steve said above, "I also use my iPhone a lot because it's in my pocket, and it is often said that the best camera is the one you have with you." It doesn't do a great job on distance or small birds, but it has good color and is great to keep in my pocket to catch some of the surprises I see in the garden. I also use it for many of my landscape shots since it's with me and available when I'm working outside. The few times I've taken the Nikon out while I work in the garden, I've either lost track of where I've set it down, or found it in the way, so I usually just stuff the phone in my pocket when I am doing more than wandering around taking photos. In the birds and mobile features #12 thread, I've posted photos taken with both cameras: Sat, Nov 22, 14 at 9:05 - iPhone Sat, Nov 22, 14 at 9:19 - Nikon Dec 3, 14 at 18:04 - Nikon Thu, Dec 4, 14 at 7:59 - Nikon In the summer, more of the photos were phone photos since I was more likely to be out working during warm weather. Here is a link that might be useful: the second camera question thread

Thank you soooo much! This is a new bird for me. I must've associated the size of the red birds on the ground (cardinals in my mind) with the size of this one in the tree. How cool! Yippee! Thanks for letting me know what it is. I've been looking for 60 new adventures in my 60th year of life (an idea I came up with to avoid thinking about the age). Many of the new adventures were new butterflies last fall, but this is a great addition for a bird adventure. Y'all know your stuff! Here is a link that might be useful: 60 New Adventures for Age 60