brown bird
Terri Webster Schrandt

Sunday Stills: Fine #Feathered Friends

“It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds.” – Aesop

two brown birds
Phoebe parents ready to feed the nestlings

If you follow my blog, you’ll know that this was year two of nesting Say’s Phoebes (Tyrant Flycatcher) that chose our patio cover to make their nest. You probably recognize this photo of 2024’s fledglings.

4 says' phoebe fledglings

Although they lost their first clutch of eggs in May this year, they tried again and laid four eggs. Four babies successfully fledged last Saturday.

Since we moved to Eastern Washington in early 2021, we have seen over 30 species of birds visit our property. Despite our lack of trees, we are surrounded by countless Ponderosa Pines and various deciduous trees. We’ve now planted 28 trees and they are growing well. The trees are a little too small to make a proper nest for most birds. However, once feeders are up and bird baths are full, they flock to those spaces.

We had a 40-foot by 12-foot patio cover built on the back of our house in summer 2023. In April 2024, a western flycatcher couple decided to make their nest in the south corner of the cover. After researching, I discovered more facts about these adorable birds. They prefer using man-made structures to house their nests. Pretty smart!

Backyard deck and patio cover
Patio cover

From our guest bathroom window, we had a clear view of the nest. For the last two seasons, we’ve had front row seats to the nesting behavior of these birds.

Season Two Saga

When the first set of babies died in the nest raid in May, I grieved for a few days. We were still in Arizona, and I felt helpless to know what had happened. “Fine Feathered Friends” is an apt description of how I felt and still feel about these sweet birds.

female Say's Phoebe
Female Say’s Phoebe

We arrived home at the end of May. We were delighted that the Phoebe couple were still hanging around our yard. It turns out they were busy adding material back into the nest. On June 6th, I saw Mama in the nest!

Phoebe in Nest
Mama Phoebe in Nest

When I had the chance and was careful not to vex the parents who were off feeding, I grabbed the ladder and snapped a shot of the eggs. Hooray!

4 Phoebe bird eggs in nest
The Phoebes Have Not Given up

Once Phoebes lay eggs, they hatch within 14-16 days. We witnessed the change in the mama’s posture in the nest.

brown bird
Phoebes Hatching!

While Mom attended to the babies, Papa flew tirelessly to and fro to keep predators away and to give her breaks.

Western Phoebe
Say’s Phoebe’s winged lunch

It wasn’t long before we saw the fuzzy-headed babies!

Say's Phoebe Nestlings
Phoebe Nestlings Calling for Supper

Mom and Pop took turns, feeding the babies live insects for hours daily. How quickly the babies grew! Fun fact: Western Flycatchers eat as many as 6000 flies a DAY!

brown birds

Notice the baby’s beaks. Most birds have something called “baby gape.” They have an enlarged mouth with a flexible, bright orange or yellow membrane on the sides of their beaks. This ensures that live insects fit into their mouths while the color triggers the parents to feed the hungry nestlings.

5 brown birds

In three weeks from the time they hatch, they are ready to fledge out of the nest. Because the babies are so big at this point, Mama doesn’t stay in the nest with them at night.

This might explain what happened to the first nest while we were away. A cat likely came into the yard, climbed the post, and dislodged the nest. The one dead baby I saw was still tiny and had few feathers. In a previous post, I shared that my hubby placed sheet metal around the top third of the post. This was to deter animals from reaching the nest. It worked! We also gave credit to Brodie, our dog, as he keeps the cats away!

The first one escaped the crowded nest on July 10th. I thought, “Oh no, it’s evening, what will happen at night?” Papa stayed close by and fed it.

4 brown birds in nest
I’m so doing this now!
brown bird fledgling
First one out of the nest
brown birds in nest
He flew! He left us!

Two hours later, I looked in the nest again from our window, and all four babies were back! Whaaattt?

4 birds in nest
“I jumped, it wasn’t that bad! Let’s go together tomorrow!”

Once they fledge, they typically don’t return to the nest. Last year’s babies all jumped at once. My theory for this clutch is that because they fledged in mid-July, and they typically start migrating south by mid-to-late August, they stayed in the nest a bit longer. They gather strength with every insect they eat.

Friday morning, July 11th, was their day to be free of the nest!

Flycatcher near table
Fledgling likes red and white
Fledgling Flycatcher
Fledgling Phoebe
brown bird
brown bird
Well Hello!
brown bird
Hey! I’m waiting here!
Flycatcher birds
Fledgling getting fed
three brown birds
Papa with two fledglings
2 brown birds
Proud Papa

But, something was wrong! What I believe to be the female still hadn’t fledged yet!

fledgling bird in nest
But I’m Not Ready Yet…

Later that afternoon, I checked the nest and it was empty! Finally!

Brown bird
Where is Everyone?

Once fledged, Mom and Pop care for them for up to three weeks, feeding them and teaching them how to catch their own meals.

BUT…

On Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, I noticed we hadn’t seen Mama in a while. Once babies fledge, they move around as the adults shepherd the babies to safe locations for roosting. We heard their plaintive calls, but they stayed well camouflaged.

At 9:00 am, hubby walked up to me with a dead bird in his hands. It was a female Phoebe! She had flown into the side of the house, probably chasing an insect, and broke her neck. Of course, I was in tears, wondering how it could have happened. How was Papa Phoebe going to take care of four hungry fledglings?

Say’s Phoebes nest in man-made structures, and our house was her end. I can’t stand the irony!

I carefully wrapped her body in paper towels and gently laid her in a box in the garage. We agreed to bury her on the southwest corner of our property near her beloved field.

Later in the afternoon, I walked outside to check on the fledglings. I heard their calls, imploring Papa to feed them. Then I spied a Phoebe on the west fence. Believing it to be a fledgling, I grabbed my camera and took a closer look with my zoom lens.

brown bird on fence

Wait! This is an adult female Phoebe. Her head is rounded, not crested like the male’s. Her beak is fully formed.

It’s Mama Phoebe!

Then I saw her swoop down to catch a fly, and she flew off to the neighbor’s tree.

brown bird on fence
Mama Phoebe

While this story ended well, I was still deeply saddened to see a dead Phoebe. Several mated pairs live all around our area. Nesting Phoebes are territorial and chase off all other birds during the nesting and fledging process. We never saw any others on our property. On my walks, though, I will hear Phoebes calling. I know they are there.

Soon they will migrate south. I was delighted to see them again this year, using the same nest as they did in 2024. Will they be back again in 2026? Stay tuned.

Sharing for Becky’s Simply Red.

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Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders

The Sunday Stills weekly-themed photo challenge is easy to join. You have all week to share and link your post. Please use your own original images, whether new or from your archives.

  • Remember to title your blog post a little differently from mine.
  • Please create a new post for the theme or link to a recent one.
  • Entries for this theme can be posted all week.
  • Tag your post “Sunday Stills.”
  • Don’t forget to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post.
  • I also recommend adding your post’s URL to the comments.

If you’re participating in the photo challenge, I look forward to seeing how you interpret this week’s theme! Creativity is encouraged, so please share your own photographs (old or new), poems, original short stories, and music inspired by the theme.

I’ll be taking a short break to attend a cousin reunion near Seattle, WA. Sunday Stills will take a pause on July 27th. The theme “Taste of Summer” will post on August 3.

Please visit my Sunday Stills page for the latest updates.

brown flycatcher bird
Female Say’s Phoebe

“Happiness is a bird, who arrives and departs freely.” – Anonymous

Bitmoji Birding

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132 comments

  12. Hi, Terri – I love all of these photos – especially ‘Hey, I’m Waiting Here!’ You are so fortunate to have such a wide variety of bird species visiting you. And birds choosing to build their nest and hatch their babies in your backyard — what could be more magnificient?

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  14. Terri, that was as spell-binding as any human mystery. The pictures are great too. That would make a fabulous children’s story written almost exactly as it is. I’m serious! With those pictures, it would be a fabulous addition to any children’s library and teacher’s science book library. I’m in love with these birds, and I don’t even like birds that much. The expressions, the heartbreak of the broken neck. The yellow mouths with fuzz all over their heads. There’s no better tale to warm one’s heart on a Wednesday morning Over a Cuppa than this one. 🙂 LOVE, love love!

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  16. What a beautifully told true story, Terri. With the photographs, it makes fantastic reading. I do hope they return next year. Their eggs look the same colour as the hen eggs we get from the store.

    Your patio looks like an amazing place to sit and watch the wildlife. And well done for planting all those trees. They may be small, but just imagine what they will be like in 10 years’ time. Plus, they’ll be giving much joy and homes to lots of birds.

    I’ve written a short story for the feather theme. It’ll be published soon.

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    • Thank you, Hugh! I was lucky to see so much activity and capture it with my camera! their eggs are smooth and off white, but may have shown up darker when I stole a pic with my cell phone. The fledglings liked the maple and willow tree, which are two of the larger trees so far. I placed a cement birdbath next to the willow and it draws birds a’ plenty 🙂
      Im excited to read your story, thank you!!

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  22. A heart warming story of your bird family and what an experience to be able to follow the nesting season up close. We grow so attached to our small critters sharing space with us.

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  28. How wonderful to have a nest so close to the house and to be able to follow as the babies hatch, grow and fledge! I’m sorry for the Phoebe that broke her neck but can’t help but be pleased that it wasn’t one of yours 🙂

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  29. Terri I really enjoyed reading the story of these determined Pheobes… The photos are wonderful as are you description of their cycle. There’s one thing I am not clear on… Did Momma Phoebe die or was she just stunned and recover or was this a new Phoebe joining Pappa…. I need to know 💜💜💜

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  35. So glad that Mama Phoebe is alive. The baby birds look so cute. How kind of you to protect them, Terri. I’m so glad Virgo hasn’t caught any birds these days. I feel like some of the birds here migrated too, as there are fewer now than last time. I hope they will be back soon. I miss their songs while I’m writing.

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  38. Terri, I enjoyed the tale of the Phoebes and felt badly as well for the poor female that broke her neck, but I’m glad it was not THE Mama you have been watching all this time. That was interesting about the beaks being so brightly colored and big. I always find it funny how those beaks are perpetually poked up in the air awaiting food. I like when they have the fuzzy feathers on their head – so sweet! That is an amazing amount of insects these Phoebes eat! I hope next year you similarly see two sets of offspring and things go off without a hitch – they will be back for sure!

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    • Thank you, Linda! I knew the baby beaks were temporary but didn’t know they had a name. I didn’t share the pics of the babies waiting for mom, then a second later next photo, mom flew in and all mouths were open! I also think the last fledgling was the last to hatch. There was one baby that was fuzzier longer. Its so fascinating to watch their journey, and it happens so fast!

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  43. Terri, your Phoebe story is so poignant! They are delightful birds, and you brought their beauty to light! Don’t get me started about cats roaming in the wild! My girls are house cats. Although the birds taunt them from the front windows. One finch lands on the screen and looks and Chloe. You can imagine the ruckus this causes. 😂 No birds or cats are ever harmed. 💖

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    • Thank you, Colleen! It was fun to learn about their species last year and watch it all unfold over two years. There are some feral cats around here and with us gone and Brodie, too, those cats took advantage. I can just see the ruckus the finches create with your cats. Don’t the birds know that they’re unicorn cats? They should be afraid, LOL!!

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  44. Terri,

    Great story and very informative. I don’t know what “flavor” of Phoebe’s we have here, but their unique characteristic is a swift vertical flick of their tails. Do you notice that in “your” lovely winged friends? Have a great week! Joe

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    • Thank you, Joe! I was a fun story to tell. The flycatchers are abundant in North America. You might have Eastern Flycatchers. Heck, I’d never heard of these until they showed up last year. And yes, the tail flick is their hallmark move! Have a great week, too!

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  46. What a story!! Those phoebes are adorable, too. A few weeks ago we had an eagle harassing a mama duck and her ducklings. While we know nature will take its course, and not all the ducklings would survive, we just couldn’t watch the eagle take a snack that way. We chased the eagle off, and the mama duck and her ducklings zoomed down river, safe to live for at least a little while longer!

    I didn’t get photos of that event, but I did happen to be on a birding walk yesterday and got pics of some fun birds!

    https://frostonthemoosedung.com/2025/07/20/sunday-stills-feathered-friends-2/

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  47. You both are their wonderful grandparents. Our backyard birds become part of the family. This I know with our baby quail! I was sad to hear about Momma but then there she was. Thank you for taking such good care of the deceased female. They all know what wonderful grandparents you are. Happy Sunday!

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    • Thank you so much, Nancy! I spent most of last Sunday teared up about the plight of the female Phoebe, when I thought she was the Mama. I saw her today, they come out in the early mornings and later in the evenings. I’m glad we returned the other Phoebe to Mother Earth. I bet quail mature very quickly. We see and hear them all the time here too! Have a great week, my friend.

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  49. I know exactly how it goes with the birds building the nests, laying eggs, the hatching, the feeding and the fledging. I like that you chronicled it with date and time, Terri!

    I once climbed up the ladder to look at the hummingbird nest. I was wrong by touching the baby. He (I found out) flapped and dropped off to the ground. I was scared and quickly put the baby back into the nest. Eventually, the baby was ready and fledged. The rubythroat baby stayed around our California house for four years before we moved. He didn’t even fly south in the winter. I missed him. I have many mourning doves and house finches stories also. Your story reminds me of them.

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    • Curiosity gets the best of us, Miriam. I’m glad it was ok. Our Sacramento hummers stayed year round and I kept feeders out for them. They “let” me take pics of them.
      I felt like these Phoebes picked our Airbnbird and I wanted to be a 5 star host! 😆🐦

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      • We don’t have a patio cover yet and our eaves are shallow. So we don’t have proper space for bird nests. There was a junco nest with 4 eggs under my pile of bags of mulch. Eventually 3 eggs were gone, and the last egg was abandoned.
        I saw mourning doves mating on our fence, and Seller’s jays picking up twigs in my backyard to build a nest. But the nests are not in sight. I kept thinking how to build an airbNbird.

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      • Well, Terri. We have a squirrel family of three. The trees, our fence, and roof tops are their playground. They even climbed up on the pole where I hung the bird feeder. They climbed to the hook, hung themselves upside down to reach the feed. I eventually got a clear plastic dome over the feeder so they can’t get through.

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  54. What a wonderful post! In spite of the accident, the end was positive. It’s fascinating that they would prefer man-made structures. I see lots of Eastern phoebes here, but I never saw one with an insect in its beak. I like watching them looking for insects and flying down to catch something.

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  56. What a story! Filled with the joys and sorrows of life itself! Gorgeous pictures of your sweet phoebes. I love the ‘hello’ picture! I hope to be back later in the week with some of my fine feathered friends! (I’m still finishing up posts from our adventure last week to the Olympic Peninsula.

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  58. A wonderful story and photos, Terri!! I have a bird buried in my backyard that flew into my bedroom window. Gladly this hasn’t happened again. Have a great week!

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  60. Wonderful images, Terri. I’m glad it wasn’t ‘your’ bird that died but it’s always sad when a dead bird is found. A couple of years ago there was a little robin on the decking in our back garden. I thought he wasn’t looking very good, small with his feathers fluffed and wasn’y moving much. I put some food out but he didn’t seem interested. This went on for a few days and then I found him dead behind one of the planters. So sad.

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    • Thank you, Janet. There was some red in the featured image. I had a love affair with this bird family. Happily the fledglings are learning and grow stronger daily. I miss them, but we have a bird show every day around the feeders. I’ll have more on that next month!

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