OMG - they're gorgeous, Randy! I love those cuddly little birds! On a not-so-cuddly note, I rescued a red-eared slider traveling down my side street the other day and have to take her to the lake this weekend. She is a large one - about 8"X6". Could really take a chunk out of someone. Anyway, she has no business being in the city - not her habitat - so to the lake she goes. Someone was probably trying to keep her confined, and due to her size, was unsuccessful. The claws on this girl are amazing! Susan

Phoebes need to be able to swoop — they fly in and out of their nests —-and they need lots of clearance !!!! Not like box nesters! Do not enclose the nest in a chicken wire cage !!!!! Watch some videos of phoebes flying to see or call Cornell or Tufts wildlife center. Maybe You can make a baffle u see it, one that a squirrel can’t get around- so predators can’t get to the nest- - we have made many different kinds over the years - one year screwed plexiglass sheet over the wall under the nest (on a flipped up outdoor outlet cover!) so predators couldn’t get purchase to climb!

My sister just called me with a similar problem with the phoebe nest on her deck. The first thing that came to my mind was the cowbird. I'm surprised that no one has mentioned this notorious brood parasite. Even though the cowbirds most common host is the yellow warbler, the brown-headed cowbird often targets Eastern phoebes for its host. I've actually seen female cowbirds egg-dump phoebe nests. It's an extremely fast process. Now before people have evil thoughts towards the brown-headed cowbird, I have to say this: it's not the cowbirds fault... Cowbirds evolved following roaming buffalo herds around, and therefore developed a breeding strategy (brood parasitism) that allowed them to do so. The cowbird used to be an uncommon species here in the northeast, but during the 17 and 1800s almost all forests were cut down for farmland. Since cowbirds are an open spaces/prairie species, this is the perfect habitat for them. They also like edge habitat (powerlines, forest edges etc.) So, I told my sister to keep watching the nest for a cowbird chick. The young, a week or two along, should be larger, louder and healthier by far than the others. It's more agressive behavior as a nestling makes it sure that it gets fed at the expense (often fatal) of the others. So if the young in a nest all look and sound the same, chances are it "cowbird-free."

Congrats. They are such good bug hunters and fun to watch. Just love my Phoebes. I've had them nest in my old open shed every year for 12 years. Now a tree fell on the shed and we built a new one so I keep the doors closed. I put some nesting shelves up so I hope they still come back! Cathy