I think many birds will gladly eat them while they're smallish. Once they get large, it's probably only the more dedicated insectivores that will go for them. Like cardinals. Here's video of a cardinal eating a similar sized caterpillar that could be a hornworm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktWIEnqKK34 (Warning: the video is a little gross, as the bird really mangles the caterpillar). I haven't personally seen cardinals in the act of eating a hornworm, but something must be doing so because I only find about 2 a year, but I see the moths in my yard. And cardinals do like to nest in my neighbor's hawthorn bush and use my garden as an insect larder.

Never mind. Mystery solved! It was an immature Tanager. Here is a link that might be useful:

He almost looks unreal! I've never seen one. I googled to see if they are found here in Virginia. I found an instance of one seen in December, 2007, actually about 10 miles from me, which is the second one ever seen. Didn't give the date of the first one. You are so fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time. Let us know if he comes back, and maybe brings his mate. Sue

I have enjoyed this thread so much! I love seeing everyone's homes and where they spend there time when not in the garden. I enjoy renovating and decorating almost as much as gardening. We have an old farmhouse (first a strawberry farm, then a Christmas tree farm) we have been renovating over the last 15 or so years. It has been a labor of love! Also, I plan my garden from the windows of the house...house and garden go hand in hand for me. I couldn't have one without the other. During gardening season, my house is usually more cluttery....but my mom came for a visit and I snapped these pics yesterday before she arrived (and I had tidied up!) This is our living room, which we haven't renovated yet. This music room used to be an old porch, which was enclosed by the previous owner. The view from these french doors is of an arch set in the middle of a boxwood hedge...the future home of my Florence Bowers Pink Tea rose! The dining room is one of the rooms that is almost finished. I just had this Laura Ashley wallpaper hung which I love! Here is the little dining nook in our newly renovated kitchen. Those are Pearly Gates roses on the table :) Here is the kitchen, which we renovated in 2013. I love to bake, so I have the marble on the island. I also do a lot of dishes...hence the huge sink! The wood counters on the sink wall were made from old Douglas Fir trees on our property. The french doors look out onto the back garden. There is another set on the other side of the stove. Everyone, and I mean everyone, tried to talk me out of these doors in my kitchen. But I wanted the garden to almost be an extension of the kitchen, and when the doors are open on a summer day it is! I don't miss the cabinet space at all! This kitchen is a Gardenweb kitchen....that's how I discovered this site: during the renovation (or actually, just before). I designed it with the help of all the amazing people on the kitchen forums. Without that forum it never would have turned out so well! I would love to post more pics, but something is wrong with my computer this morning...so I will have to do it later when my husband is home :)