Good luck with the weed wacker! I have been doing some pulling in my garden as well.
It was all baby chickweed that came up after the first tilling. In very loose soil. So weedwhacking is the easiest and can pull it right of the ground. Did not take long.
Orioles as far as I know like heavily wooded areas the best, better tree choice for hidden nests and lots of bugs crawling on trees to eat. We have both.