Oh, yes, the birds are definitely feeling spring's approach. I walk just before daylight in my neighborhood and have noticed lots of bird singing and activity lately. Staking their ground, I'd say!

Ummmm... Phoebe Cates . Wasup Marty ? What about that Chionanthus ? The blubirds sure are active . And then ...nyak nyak nyak , does that sound like a nuthatch ?

Wow! I have several pairs of bright red birds that are so pretty. I think they are summer tanagers. They're very active, so it's been kind of hard to get a real close look at them. Does anyone else have these birds? They look like scarlet flames flitting in the trees. So lovely! They're also VERY fast and fly like swallows. They don't seem to be scarlet tanagers as they definetly don't have black wings.

Summer Tanagers won't be returning to these parts until late April or early May. STanagers are a rosy red, rather than fire-engine red like a Scarlet Tanager, if that helps. They're all still down in the tropics at the moment, and are one of the later migrants to arrive back north. The only completely scarlet-red birds I know of that winter in TN are cardinals. Purple Finches winter here from further north, but they're more raspberry-juice red than scarlet, and only on the front end and back, not all over.

Hey, Robert! That chionanthus is intriguing. But I hear it's propagated by cuttings? If so, it's a one-in-a-million variety. Mike Dirr says he can't get chionanthus cuttings to root. So what's the story on this one, and what protocol should I follow to take cuttings successfully? FYI for everyone else, this is a new fringetree variety we're excited about that goes by the name of 'Spring Fleecing'.

The bluebirds are very romantic around my house these days. And the redtail and red shouldered hawks are courting madly. Carolina Chickadees are singing their little dominoed heads off. And the peepers are in full voice in my pond, along with the chorus frogs.

Marty

The deal with Chionanthus is that some will root and some won't . Most will not . My buddy Pat took cuttings off 3 different trees and lumped them all together and had 33% rooting , so basically he thinks 100% on one . Hinkley once told me that there is a one week window after it first starts to flower . We haven't found the right tree until now . I hope the leaves are as fat and glossy as 'Emerald Knight'. Yea , it is not patented . I have yet to ask Dirr about that , no one can know it all , but he is at the top . I hear mid to late June with iba 5-6,000 ppm on the 'Spring Fleecing' . I was excited to see that it was a cutting . Just hung up the phone with Mike B. wanting some 'Leprechaun'. They're magically delicious . Have you seen the variegated form of virginicus ? I will get you to the pic . Lotsa chimera going on there . Oh shat , I will call you . You are gonna freak ! I can not post this pic online . You will needa calmative when you see this . I gotta go back outside , 70* at noon . Mighty fine .