Phoebe

I was sitting at my desk this morning when I heard a bird out on the deck. I knew just what it was, but wondered if I'd be able to get any pictures. This is a little bird that says its name, Phoebe.



If you are at all familiar with the northeastern birds you know that the little chickadees also say "Phoebe." But once you know the secret, you'll never mix up the sounds. The chickadee almost whistles the word; it's very clear and smooth.

The eastern Phoebe says "Phoebe," but it's a harsh, raspy voice, like the bird has a very bad sore throat.



Isn't it cute? The wind is not just ruffling its feathers, they really do have a tiny bit of a crest, like a flycatcher. I was also lucky enough to catch this behavior, which the bird book even mentions- it spreads it's tail to show off.

This one may be a juvenile since the wing bars show so clearly.



What was it showing off for? The next thing it did was to fly off with another Phoebe. Seems a little late in the season to me to be starting a new family, but they sure seemed to be romantically inclined- just teenage hormones?

I had to take the pictures through the window again, so they aren't as clear as I'd like.