CONCORD 
1910 
Phoe'bes 
feeding younp: 
in nest on 
Dragon-flies 
The only north-bound migrant noted was a Black-poll 
Warbler singiiig in the oak grove at the Farm, 
I spent most of the day rearranging things in our 
barn cellar with the help of two men. The Phoebes have a 
nest there in the usual place on a shingle nailed to a 
beam near an open window, at a height of about seven feet. 
At first they were greatly disturbed by our presence, but 
they became reconciled to it as the day wore on. They 
were feeding five young,almost fully grown and fledged, 
but still in the nest. Both birds came v/ith food in their 
bills every two or three minutes and sometimes every 
minute , Sometimes they came together, sometimes singly. 
Nearly half the time they brought Dragon-flies, some of the 
largest size. These were given to the young just as they 
were caught, with the large gauzy wings, the long body, etc. 
intact. They were swallowed almost at a gulp by the 
ravenous young,which kept up a low cheeping sound suggestive 
of unappeased hunger. The old birds usually alighted first 
on a box and then flew up to the nest, poising in front 
of it on rapidly beating wings for two or three seconds. 
Once I saw one of them fly offwith a white excrement sack. 
At one time when two of my men were working almost directly 
under the nest, an old bird went to it and fed the young. 
The old male (I assume it is the male) roasted regularly 
in the wood-shed attached to our house, flying into it as 
twilight is falling. 
