Ian, those are sapsuckers. They do not girdle the trees although it looks pretty close sometimes. They are drilling for sap, much like tapping a maple to make syrup, except the sapsuckers eat the insects that are attracted to the sap. Hummingbirds also I've heard are attracted to the sapsucker holes for the insects. It looks like it must be damaging, and it's definitely an open wound, but I've never seen a tree killed or seriously damaged by sapsuckers, and they're pretty birds. They go for the sweet-sapped trees mainly like birch and alder and aspen and maple. Are birds 'good' or 'bad' for trees?? aren't they pretty much made for each other?? Trees live in a world filled with birds, and birds live in a world filled with trees. Although trees as a whole predate birds by millions of years, trees and birds get along pretty well together, and they've lived together for much longer than we've been around. It's a myth that birdfeeders will spoil the birds so they won't eat insects. Most insect eating birds don't eat birdseed, for one thing. Conversely, birdfeeders don't attract most insect eating birds except for chickadees. Suet feeders, and birdbaths most of all, will attract more of the insect eaters. The weight of birds damaging trees? I wouldn't think so. Birds don't weigh hardly anything, their bones are hollow, and under those feathers there's hardly any bulk left, it's all fluff. And birds get off if a branch sways too much under their weight. Birds need trees, and trees need birds. I agree that the trees seem cheered by birds in them, even when the birds are eating all the flower buds so fruit won't set. That's what the finces do to my cherry trees, they gather by the dozens just as the flower buds are swelling, but who cares? finches are pretty and sing nice, and there's too many tiny little cherries on these trees anyway, they're a nuisance, might as well go to the birds as drop stones on the lawn for me to step on and the dogs to eat and plug up their guts. I read once that in Europe it's considered a good omen if a bird lights on a newly planted tree. Sounds like you have a yard full of good omens. Are you keeping a life list of the birds you see?

Our doves did try to eat some of the rice I threw out for them as I had read that someone had said they liked rice. Yesterday I noticed that our baby doves were sitting alone but we were also aware that the Mom and Dad were close by watching over them. Late in the day a Blue Jay was after the two little ones sitting in thier nest. Both parents decended on the Blue Jay until he flew away. Neither of the parents went back to the nest; we were concerned that they wouldn't make it to the next day. To our joy we found the Mom sitting on the nest early in the morning. However later both parents were away from the baby doves. Late this afternoon I was thrilled to witness both the Mom and Dad at the nest; Mom was feeding the little ones. And later - no parents, no baby doves. They had left the nest. My previous witness of all four of them together must have been the LAST family gathering. My question is: Do the parents stay with thier young long enough to teach them full flying lessons or do they kick them out of the nest and expect them to survive on thier own?

I agree the description you give matches one ofthe bush honeysuckles such as Lonicera mackii, Lonicera tartarica, or Lonicera morrowii - they are all exotic invasive weeds and should be removed. Another possibility is winterberry holly, but you seem to be familiar with holly berries and wrote that this bush doesn't have typical holly-type berries. As an aside, ALL berries are edible for some creature. The whole reason a plant produces berries is so that an animal will eat them and pass the seeds, hopefully dropping them in a place where the seeds will grow and prosper. Many berries are considered inedible for humans. Most of these are merely undesireable to eat - tasteless, mealy, very sour or bitter, etc. Some are poisonous, which usually means they cause vomiting or nuasea. A few types of berries are actually poisonous enough to kill you. However, even those berries are eaten by something (often birds) or else they wouldn't do the plant any good. However, not all berries are equally favored or eaten at the same time. Some berries are higher in fat or sugar than others, and these are eaten first in summer and early fall. I find that red osier dogwood is one of the most favored and my bushes are stripped of berries already this summer. Some berries are eaten late in the year because they are either lower in sugar and fat than other berries, or because frost seems to make them more palatable. Holly berries are usually not eaten until cold weather. Same goes for certain types of wild grapes, which taste sweeeter after a frost. The last berries eaten around here are usually Staghorn Sumac. I assume this is because the berries are very dry and seem pretty low in food value (This is based on just inspecting the berries. I haven't tried eating any). The berries on Lonicera morrowii and Lonicera mackii usually last a long time around here. I think that is because there are so many of these shrubs that the berries glut the market at a time (now) when many birds are still feeding insects to youngsters, and more favored berries are available. If those berries were there in January they'd be eaten in a day.

christine - I would probably lick my own fingers. My dogs views on peanut butter... "what kind of pill are you trying to get me to take this time?" :) mimipadv! I just had my first blue bird! Before I could really enjoy his presence, something scared off all the birds, darn it. From what I've read, blue birds can be hard to attract so I wasn't expecting to see one so soon. Hopefully this one will come back and bring a friend or two.