Thanks so much for the ID and advice. I read up on this plant and definitely will not plant it. I know from sad experience what an invasive plant can do to a garden! Marian

I thinkthis maybe a mini cholla (cylindropuntia) Grows just like the full sized cane cholla but much smaller. But with h the same beautiful flowers in magenta color. Needs little to NO water

That makes sense - I was at a distance shooting the blue-gray bird with a smaller lens and by the time I reached him, he flew into a thicket and when I looked into the thicket I found the catbird. They didn't seem like one and the same bird. Thanks for the IDs, TMFF, and clearing up my confusion. Shyamala

#1 could be a variety of Lamium galeobdolon #2 is Lamium maculatum #3 looks like Corydalis lutea