EASTERN PHOEBE 149 



When I decided to end the incident, I found a difficulty in doing so. I 

 had presumed that any decided movement on my part would drive my little 

 friend away, but this bird was not of the scary kind. * * * He continued 

 to perch on my head and pick mosquitoes off my face even after I had started 

 to move around in an effort to discourage his attentions. But my face was 

 beginning to feel somewhat inllamed from the frequent pecking to which it 

 had been subjected, so I called it a day and told the Phoebe to stop pestering me. 



Frederic H. Kcnnard says in his manuscript notes under date of 

 March 31, 1908 : "A phoebe flew through our open bedroom window 

 this morning while we were at breakfast and made himself at home 

 catching flies and perching on the back of the rocking chair." 



William Brewster (1936) describes thus the phoebe's method of 

 bathing : 



June 17, 1905. About noon today I saw a Phoebe bathing in a small pond 

 in the Berry Pasture. It flew from a dead branch about fifteen feet from the 

 pond and eight feet above the ground, striking the surface with its breast and 

 with such force as to make a rather loud sound as well as to send heavy 

 ripples rolling to my part of the pond. This action was repeated three times 

 at short intervals. 



There can be no question that the bird was bathing and not picking up 

 floating insects, for each time it returned to its perch I could see that it was 

 dripping wet. After freeing its plumage from most of the water by a vigorous 

 shake or two, it would preen its feathers for a few moments and then take 

 another dip. 



Bendire (1895) says: "While generally of an amiable disposition 

 toward other birds, often nesting in close proximity to the Barn 

 Swallow, Robin, and Chimney Swift, it will not allow any of its 

 own kind to occupy a site close to its own, fighting them persistently 

 until driven off, and should one of the earlier arrivals presume to 

 api)ropriate its old nest, war is at once declared," 



The most characteristic habit of the phoebe — one by which it may 

 be recognized at a glance — is its manner of moving its tail. The 

 bird no sooner alights than its tail begins to sway, first a downward 

 sweep, then a recoil, which often carries the tail above the starting 

 point. The swings are wide and are often made toward one side or 

 the other, giving a wagging effect. The motions, repeated several 

 times, are rather slow, not at all like the nervous twitchings of many 

 birds' tails. 



Voice. — The voice of the phoebe is distinctive as he sings, pro- 

 notmcing phoehe, or better perhaps wheepy. There is in the voice an 

 aspirate quality roughened a little by a rolling 'r' sound, very differ- 

 ent from the voices of the other genera of flycatchers. There is none 

 of the pure musical tone of the wood pewee, none of the rasp of the 

 alder flycatcher, and no hint of the arrogant shout of the greatcrest. 

 The phoebe's song is uttered emphatically to be sure, and it is sharply 

 accented at the start, but it is never loud : it is, in fact, only a force- 



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