We have a sweet cherry tree in our back garden - there is a flicker that we NEVER see except when those cherries are ripe. Dunno how it knows when to come- not even sure if it is the same bird! We picked and pitted our fill this year and then had fun watching the birds clean the rest off - mainly the ones I couldn't reach from the deck or ladder. As for squirrels - Ray has plants on our deck and squirrels are so bad to dig them up - burying nuts, we guess. anyway, I got him some chicken wire (green, florist) and he put that over the top. If you do it early on, can cover the entire top of the pot. Barb in Missouri Barb Rothenberger Columbia, Mo. brothenb@socket.net web page in process of being updated. See pictures of Chelsea flower show. http://www.geocities.com/PicketFence/3257/ Feed the hungry for free visit the hunger site today http://www.thehungersite.com/ donate to The American Cancer Society for free. http://www.eactivism.com/clickcure.asp