Good question re bloom time but I *think* any male pollinator will do. Ken's red Female I think can be pollinated by the same male pollinators that pollinate Anna/49er and all the rest of the gang. I think this would suggest they overlap bloom quite nicely--that a male specially for Ken's Red would also pollinate the others then. BTW here's a more specific breakdown of the flavor IMO in case anyone is wondering: -Main difference with hardy kiwis and regular kiwis to me (besides not having to peel them and just popping them in the mouth like berries) is that most hardy kiwis do not have the sometimes harsh acidic after bite taste of a regular kiwi. Of course they are tangy sweet balance but that sometimes flash millisecond uncomfortable intense kiwi bite on the acidic side is missing--I think that's a good thing. I think hardy kiwis overall are superior to big regular kiwis in flavor. Anna and 49er have a beautiful tangy and sweet balance--just excellent. I can't imagine any better tasting hardy kiwis. I taste tested them two seasons in a row on 3 tastings total (with the first one blind to the variety names) and thought the same each time--those two were also the top two favorites of EL owner. Independent, blind, and repeated results agreeing with him is a good sign. Issai was the worst each time having a weird astringent taste afterwards and a bit of that overly acidic bite at the end (don't get me wrong I am in love with acidic fruit--but this is just an annoying astringent acidic weirdo taste). It is still an 7 or 8 out of 10 I'd say though. The rest were all 9's with no differences just a tad of that astringent/acidic bite of a regular kiwi and not as full of a sweet/tart balance in the initial flavor. Anna/49er were clear 10's and I could never choose on any sampling which was the better. Equal 10's. Ken's Red I think was a bit unique but I did not like it too much. Perhaps it tasted like a real kiwi more but without an aftertaste in a bad way--just in a good kiwi way but in that same spirit of a bit more harsh acidic. To me though it defeats the purpose of a hardy kiwi though when you start tasting exactly like a real kiwi... I think the hallmark benefit of these guys is that they are an IMPROVEMENT in flavor to kiwi--not an equal. But if you are really in love with regular kiwis--you may want to avoid Anna/49er possibly. So Ken's Red would be a 9 with a slightly different flavor profile. In summary, Anna/49er the best, then all others including Ken's red with a unique taste I can't quite recall, then Issai. They're not worlds apart in flavor. But I care a lot about nuances in flavor. BTW some do ripen at different times but I don't know if they bloom differently. I'd bet you'll be OK with any male. Hope this helps some get an idea of their flavors without having taste tested them side by side :).

There were over 100 dead birds that dropped over in Geyserville, CA off the 1010 Freeway this past Saturday. There were also a rather large number of Rooks and Choughs over in Sweden that died.....not to mention the birds in Arkansas, Kentucky, Italy and the fish, crabs, etc. in various places around the world. All in clusters, all falling on or near or within two weeks of, the New Year. Scientists are saying that mass die-offs are very common in birds, especially in winter....as for the fish and sea-creatures, they're saying red tides are on the increase in those areas. So this is hard to pin point....and don't get me started on the conspiracy theorists....egads. Thank GOD He is Sovereign over *all* of it. (Colossians 1: 19-20)

It sounds like a you have some common Redpolls passing through. Alot of the birds are starting to think about spring and changing their behavoir now. You'll see new birds migrating through. I've noticed the birds got alot more vocal in the last week or so. The male Cardinals and Blue Jays are singing. Yesterday I saw and heard male Horned Larks singing. Spring is on its way, its hard to believe when the forecast calls for 6-8" of snow tonight.

There is a park, a small field that is regularly mowed, and a sort of a wet-weather slough that runs between four properties (one of which is ours). It's basically what's left when a developer is too lazy to properly landscape when they build a plat on uneven terrain. There may be only one of the females; We've been away for awhile and I've not yet seen her again since we got back. Apparently my female house sparrows have lost their itty-bitty minds and have taken to scattering the seed from the window feeder far and wide, which has finally given the grackles something they can get at. The grackles are making things a little more difficult for everyone else and I wonder if they've driven her off. So I'll not be filling the window feeder any more - then we'll see if Ms. RWBB comes back or no, LOL!