There are no Gypsy Moths around, but that doesn't mean that we're free and clear from defoliation. It was, apparently, a fine spring for Winter Moth caterpillars, and there are also plenty of Forest Tent caterpillars working the tree canopies and below, so we've gone from relatively dendrological darkness into light, as the larval lepidopterans devour everything green in sight. Just as things were beginning to look desperate, however, and the frass, the polite tern for caterpillar poop, was starting to make life outdoors more than a little yucky, we received a kind of miracle: a large flock of Cedar Waxwings, those gorgeous birds normally associated around here with later winter and softened and tempting Holly berries, assembled and came out of nowhere to feast on this entomological manna. It was fun to watch the avian acrobats glean the leaves, and while I'm sure the Waxwings didn't do a complete job, they really put a dent in the Winter Moth caterpillar population. Maybe we'll have shade after all.