moving this down....

Kathy, a very different rose than Tuscan Sun. TS has loads of petals, is more heat sensitive and fades quicker, takes longer between flushes--but this last growth spurt and round of blooms is amazing. Tuscan Sun has more vibrant early-bloom colors, red orange tan, fades to a beautiful pale shade of salmon white that can stay on and look good. Much smaller petal number, though. There is something to be said for both of them, really. Kathy

Jane, The male Cowbird would be completely black with a chocolate brown head. Both of the pics above would be females. The juvies are similar to the females but have lots of striping according to my book. Not great birds to have around during nesting season as they are parasitic brooders. They don't build their own nest. Instead, they lay their eggs inside the nests of other birds, and then the other bird species feeds and raises their chicks. The Cowbird egg hatches first, and this decreases the survival chances of the nest builder's own offspring as the parents have been slaving away feeding the big hungry Cowbird chick, often causing their own to starve.

Very Nice! Good thing you had your camera with you. Kt