The shell ginger plants in the front yard were blooming in early May. I saw the hummingbirds feeding on them several times but was not able to get a picture from the window and if I went outside they would fly away.

House finches have become regular daily visitors to the backyard.

A young cardinal looking for bugs.

We still had a lot of northern parulas visiting the yard but they disappeared for the summer. I took the one in the window with my phone but when I went out to get a shot with  my camera he took off.

Stubby, the tufted titmouse that is missing a foot, has become a regular visitor to the backyard. He looks for bugs on the ground, eats from both the seed feeder and the mealworm feeder and gets a drink from the bath. It’s hard to get a shot of him because he doesn’t sit still long. He grabs a worm and he’s gone. I can now spot him by the way he flutters his wings when he’s hanging on with one foot.

A pileated woodpecker high up in our oak tree. I was outside with my camera when I spotted him. He also doesn’t hang around very long.

The female ruby throated hummingbird sitting high up in the oak tree. She flies up to a few different spots after getting a sip at the feeder.

This guy was in the front yard with a snack.

Little critters included an underwing moth (I took with my phone through the window), an orchard orbweaver spider (We have a lot of these in the yard. They are harmless and eat bugs including mosquitos.) and a striped horse fly that I took outside and through the window (only the females bite and they are painful).

One morning a turtle was digging a nest in our backyard, right under our window. I took this through the window because I didn’t want to spook her. She dug a hole but then left without laying any eggs. She eventually made her way back to the pond on the other side of the fairway.

Summer skies from the backyard.