Well I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I promised I would keep you updated. The Eastern Phoebes nesting under our deck have left. Mama G knew something was wrong a few days ago, when she was out on the patio reading and didn’t see them. Normally one or both of them would be flying around the backyard, snatching insects out of the air with great skill.
When it became apparent that they would not be back, Mama C climbed up a ladder and snapped a photo of the inside of the nest. The eggs were tiny, only about three-quarters of an inch long. It was hard to believe that even under different circumstances this is where it would all begin for a Phoebe.
After learning that Phoebes rarely abandon their nest after eggs have been laid, we have to believe that one of them might have died, especially since we still hear Phoebe calls coming from the woods. I sure hope it wasn’t one of my feline brothers or sisters who managed to grab one. Or maybe it was the red fox that Mama G scared off the other night after catching it chasing a wild turkey. Our yard has been like Wild Kingdom lately! Whatever happened to the Phoebes, we miss their aerobatics and vocalizations.
On a happier note, we did have a wren family in one of our nesting boxes. We could hear the high-pitched chatter of the little ones for a couple of weeks as their mama raced to feed them. The box eventually fell silent, and although we didn’t see them fly out, we believe the family had a successful outcome.
Oxbow's World 