Oh it doesn't sound good, I think it's unusual for a goose to be by itself. The geese here are just beginning to flock for migration. According to BNA ... "Breeders are monogamous, with life-long pair bonds formed usually during the second year. Offspring remain with their parents throughout the first year of life, traveling together in large flocks of family groups" Their diet ... "Canada Geese depend primarily on grasses, sedges, or other green monocots during periods of increase in lean body mass, primarily the growth period in summer (Sed-inger and Raveling 1984) and spring premigration and migration periods (McLandress and Raveling 1981a, Coleman and Boag 1987a). Postfledging and during fall and winter, most populations rely pri-marily on foods higher in carbohydrate, such as berries (Sedinger and Raveling 1984) or seeds, including agricultural grains (Joyner et al. 1987). Almost all populations of Canada Geese have readily adapted to use of agricultural crops, which predominate in diets of most populations during portions of annual cycle in which they are available. Canada Geese, primarily B. c. maxima and B. c. moffitti, have also become ac-climated to urban environments, in which they graze on domesticated grasses throughout the year (e.g., Conover and Kania 1991)." Also, according to BNA, not all flocks migrate, some stay in the same area as they breed. The map shows all of California as their wintering grounds. Sandy, I'm not sure if the dogwoods here were affected or not. I don't remember hearing about it but it could be. I believe that dogwoods here are not as prolific as the redbuds, nothing like the dogwoods that I remember in Virginia as a kid. I do have elm trees here, although they are young trees - I'm hoping they are related to the elm trees that were found just 40 miles from here that are dutch-elm-disease resistant and have now been cultivated. The birds seem to like the elms, ecspecially the warblers. I am worried about the ash borer getting here, my woods are full of ash with two large ones that shade the house. I will be very unhappy if I lose them!

They need their vegetables! They will also eat hollyhock and squash leaves. My husband used to feed the hawks -ahem- I mean, the finches, and I had the same thing happen that you are experiencing. The best solution is removing the feeder and trying again next year. Niger seed has become too expensive anyway... I don't think birds can taste chili. There is a substance called Bitter Apple that birds can taste, so you could try spraying that on the leaves. You can usually get it at pet stores. You might be able to water it down a bit to make it go further (farther?). Good luck, fellow gardener. Renee

I don't know which they like better, since I've never put up a feeder. But I do know that with flowers alone, you can attract regular visits from the hummingbirds! Each year, there are more flowers growing in the gardens than the last. Once the Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) goes into full bloom, the hummers will visit the flowers regularly until they are ready to leave in the fall. After the Bee Balm, the Lobelia cardinalis blooms, and then the Salvia splendens and coccinea, and the Cardinal climber. These are all hummingbird favorites. The flowers seem to be visited about every 15-20 mintues. Often I'll see 2 hummers, tussling and chasing each other around the flowers and yard. Last summer, there were 2 females fighting over the Lobelia cardinalis, and a male flew into the fracas, probably the mate of one of the females. Three hummingbirds were the most I've seen at one time. I have a very native and natural backyard, so their needs for habitat and insects are satisfied as well. It also helps that a couple of the neighbors have nice gardens too.

Our regular hummer has been avoiding us this year I think. I can hear her buzzing around, but she hasn't visited either the flowers or the feeder. One the agatastache and the monarda bloom she may stop by for a visit. Cardinals would be a rare sight indeed! But Popmama has a good guess of cedar waxwings. They are somewhat brownish/tan and yellowish with a prominent crest, and they also have a black "face mask". Very "silky looking" and quite beautiful. They have buzzing voice and are somewhat on the small side of medium size. Our goldfinches come year round, and nyjer (thistle) is about the only seed we put out in the summer. The lessers are much more common at our feeders than the more brilliantly colored American goldfinches. In other birding news, the spring migration is over, and now we are into nesting and raising young mode. It's pretty remarkable how just a couple weeks ago birds like bullocks orioles and lazuli buntings were flying all over the place singing their ever loving heads off and now have all but disappeared as they transition into their new roles as parents. Wablers like the yellow breasted chats and yellow warblers seem undeterred to make themselves known (at least by sound) just because they are busy with young chicks and blue grosbeaks can still be readily found as well. And if your in any marshy areas you wont have to look too hard for what Audubon once called America's "surpassingly beautiful" species, snowy egrets. And if you do look a little closer at the egrets, you might find that one of these things is not like the others: The bird that made me the most famous bird watcher on the Front Range this week, haha. I found him in Arvada on Father's Day and reported him on eBird and the Denver area birding community was all a twitter. Found along the Gulf Coast, this is only the 10th recorded white ibis in Colorado!