Jonathan Crowe @mcwetboy@wandering.shop

Two tulips.

The trilliums were in bloom in our yard again this year. Here’s a photo album: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmNou2w8

From earlier this week: a female yellow-bellied sapsucker (aka squeeze toy) hunting for insects on the maple tree in our front yard.

These recent photos didn’t turn out so great, but provide interesting information all the same: (1) a red-shouldered hawk about to do a pounce; (2) a pair of wood ducks high in the trees.

In today’s bird news, one of the red-shouldered hawks came by to do a little hunting in our back yard this afternoon, only to be shown the exit by mobbing blue jays (who know a predator when they see one). The hawk came back later, though, and did a little hunting before continuing on elsewhere.

The phoebes were joined on the deck railing by a female cowbird, which isn’t a good sign from the phoebes’ perspective: cowbirds are obligate brood parasites.

Found out where the eastern phoebes are nesting this year: next to our back deck light. This morning the birds are in nest-building mode and the deck is a flurry of activity. Which means that they’re invariably *right there* whenever we look out the window.

This yellow-bellied sapsucker turned up this evening. We heard her—or her prospective mate’s—call before I saw her, and like many woodpeckers’ calls, it’s fairly ridiculous: it sounds like a squeeze toy.

Today brought another chance to get somewhat better shots of the yellow-rumped warblers. Also, a female goldfinch.

Second new bird this week! We were just visited by a trio of Yellow-rumped Warblers (Setophaga coronata). Too quick and small for me to get very many good shots; this one will have to do.

Cats. Windows. Sunbeams. The usual.

Here’s a relatively close look at a female red-winged blackbird.

New-to-us bird species! This Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum), looking all serious, turned up this afternoon.

Goober is sad because you have no cheese.

You’re gonna want to get out of there in a minute, cat.

This morning’s macro photography: flowers and a spider’s web.

This week in birds: a red-winged blackbird, a female brown-headed cowbird, a blue jay and an eastern phoebe, all photographed from our front windows or back deck.

Watching from a window.

Big lens, little camera.

Online tutoring requires supervision.