The Cuteness Factor

I was the first one up today, and was rewarded by having a long "photo shoot" with Doreen the Douglas Squirrel, who was absolutely delighted to find the last remnant of a seed and suet cake that Phil had left on the back porch when he refilled the feeder. 

Doreen has evidently had babies since I last saw her, and her unswerving devotion to the seed and suet cake made it clear that she was hungry! It took her about 20 minutes to nearly finish her breakfast, and she scampered off with the last remnants when a Steller's Jay appeared overhead.

We didn't see as much of Z and B and their parents today because Z and B got up long after we did, arrived at the farmers'  market just as I was leaving, and departed for home this afternoon, after exercising  their dogs at Lake Padden Park. Prior to their departure, Phil took a couple of photos of the foursome, and then asked D to turn the camera on us with Z and B (see extra, in which two of the four are cute).

Early this evening, Phil and I decided to sit on the deck while enjoying our adult beverages. For a while, we saw no wildlife at all, but then one of the smaller Downy Woodpecker fledglings -- a female -- arrayed herself in a variety of poses on the deck railing. We saw both of her side views, as well as several frontal ones, and in the case of the extra photo here, both side and frontal, before she flew off to preen before more important clients.

Youth is beguiling!

(For still more cuteness, see Phil's blip.)

Blip 1570