Phoebe
I think it is fair to say our most entertaining flycatcher is the eastern phoebe. It is the easiest of the flycatchers to identify because of its fondness for human structures, including our barn. From the nest it built in Limerick’s stall, we have watched one female in particular fly to and fro through several summer months beginning in May. The female phoebe constructs the nest from mud, moss, and leaves mixed with grass stems and possibly animal hair. This nest adheres to the barn beams in the barn. Once the eggs hatched, you can hear the insistent chirping complaints of the chicks while their busy mother tried to satisfy the chicks’ appetite for insects. The adult could often be seen sitting on a low tree branch, a few yards away from the porch, flicking its tail up and down.
