A Baby Phoebe

A Baby Phoebe

by Carolyn
(Lovell Maine USA)

We came back from a trip to find 5 little chicks in the phoebe nest in our porch rafters -- they could have been 3 days old by that time.

Now, 2 days later, one fell out of the nest onto our open porch's floor. We left it there for an hour or so, not knowing what to do.

I couldn't bear watching it die a slow death there, so I put on cloth gardening gloves and put it in another phoebe nest that had been built just on the other side of the rafter from the first nest.

Now we will wait to see if the parents will feed it again.

Comments for
A Baby Phoebe

Average Rating

Click here to add your own comments

Jul 10, 2008
Rating

Happy ending to this story (so far!)
by: Carolyn

I wanted to write an update on my phoebe saga. I couldn't tell if the parents were feeding the little one who was probably weak and now alone in a nest "next door". So, I put the gloves back on again, carefully lifted it out of the nest and placed it back with the others. (I'd been afraid about creating a problem and jeopardizing all of them.) Its little wings were SO fragile -- I think I could see the actual wing bones. It seemed to burrow in with the others (after releasing a lovely poop toward me) and I sat back to watch.

I was thrilled to see one parent visit the now empty nest, obviously having been aware that a baby was there. I must have confused the heck out of these parents with the numbers shifting as they were!

It is now the next morning and all 5 seem fine. I just get so nervous now when they jostle around -- I can't bear to lose another!

I probably wouldn't have messed with nature like this, except that it was all happening in full view, a few feet from my window.