Usually the phoebe’s nest is a chirpy little bundle on the drainpipe out back, but this spring it is silent, and for this we blame the towhee.  We’re not sure when he arrived, but he has been a constant presence on the deck now for a week.  The mornings begin with his trill– to-whee! to-whee!— and then a bapping at the windows, as he shadow-boxes with himself for dominance.  The other birds seem to give him wide berth.  We think the cardinals are rolling their eyes about all of this, but perhaps they are more forgiving than we give them credit for.  The mornings have been bright and warm, and certainly encourage the kinder interpretation.