A New Family Moves In

For quite some time now, I've noticed there's a phoebe who likes to frequent our front yard. It likes to sit on the side of our garbage "corral", flicking it's tail as though it's a wee bit nervous. I'd noticed it, but hadn't paid it any particular attention. Phoebes are kind of neat little birds, so I was happy that it stuck around and it never really struck me that this might be the same bird, day after day.

That is, until we got home from Park Day on Monday. I don't remember now what made me look up at the peak of the roof over the garage. Maybe it was the telltale peeping coming from up there. But looking up, there was clearly a mud nest attached firmly to the house, under the overhanging peak of the roof.And from that nest, there was a faint peeping. I didn't have a clue what kind of nest phoebes make, necessitating an immediate trip to the ol' bird book. Yes, indeed, much like swallow, phoebes make nests out of mud. It didn't take much investigating to confirm that our phoebe...which is almost certainly twophoebe parents...has a brand new family living above our garage.

I feel honored. I also feel like I need to remember to pull the mommymobile into the garage from now on...knowing that the phoebes like to sit in the tree in the driveway when they're not out hunting for food. No wonder it was such a mess!