Surprise in the Butterfly Bush

It has been pretty hot here in Arkansas for the last couple of weeks..no rain. So it was time to haul out the hoses and give all my plant life a drink. Fortunately, I discovered how to improve the water pressure so now, I can do the entire back yard in only two sprinkler positions instead of the five or six that I used to be stuck with. Anyway, while I was getting all the paraphernalia set up...hauling from the garage to the back yard, I apparently disturbed something in the butterfly bush.

Too busy to check it out, I went about setting things up and turning on the water. Then I went back to the front and of course, passed the butterfly bush again...up flew a wood thrush. He landed on the fence and we just looked at each other for about half a minute and then he flew off.

Man, he was pretty. I hope he comes back. I did some research on him and found out that this is the only thrush that nests near houses. They like overly bushy areas near walls...well he picked a perfect spot. This bush that I planted almost two years ago has taken over everything.

When I got here last week, it was so overgrown I got out the pruner and went to work; surprisingly, a robin was giving me "what for"...it just kept yelling at me. I didn't see any nest or any other bird in the bush but he was really quite insistent that I get out of there...so I did.

Here's the bush, even pruned it is pretty thick.