Jonathan Crowe @mcwetboy@wandering.shop

Lilies in sun and shadow.

Bee balm.

I didn’t think we were going to get northern flickers this year—they usually turn up in spring—but this fellow showed up on Canada Day.

High spots on bookshelves and cute watchful kittens.

HALP

Another round of peonies.

Squirrel!

The peonies opened up today, more or less on schedule.

Another very small toad found in our backyard this afternoon.

Goober, our oldest cat, died today. https://www.jonathancrowe.net/2020/06/goober-2004-2020/

Alliums. (Species/cultivar unknown: they’ve been on the property longer than we have.)

First toad of the season came late this year.

Our apple trees are stubbornly hanging in there, despite shade and limb loss to wind damage. One of them is even putting out blossoms.

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.