Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Phoebes, feeding

I'm sitting in my favorite spot in front of the big picture window when a flash of movement catches my attention. It's a phoebe, one of the pair nesting on our front porch, and he's sitting just three feet away on a chunk of firewood holding a small insect in his beak. He bobs his tail up and down and looks around, looks sharply in my direction, and then flies up to the corner to feed his mate on the nest. He repeats this pattern over and over again all day long, disappearing only when I step outside--and even then he stays nearby, usually within sight of the nest. 

The female tends to stay on the nest as long as I'm not doing anything loud nearby, but earlier today both of them fled when I had to fill the birdfeeders. The bin holding all our birdseed is located directly beneath the phoebe's nest so I couldn't get to the birdseed without disturbing the birds. I probably ought to ask one of the men to move the birdseed bin until the phoebes finish with the nest.

I keep trying to get decent photos of the phoebe sitting on the nest, but the nest is in a poorly lit spot and getting too close startles the bird. From inside I can get photos of the other phoebe through the window, but I have to be careful to avoid glare and reflection lest I end up with a photo of myself taking a photo. I want to see phoebes, not inadvertent selfies. But patience pays off: I sit very still with the camera aimed and focused and I want for the phoebe to land in his usual spot. It takes a while, but there he is--click! I get a photo, and the phoebes get fed.
He's holding a small winged insect in his beak.

Do the phoebes find me as interesting as I find them?



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