Phoebe Nest

This is the nest which Eastern Phoebes (Sayornis phoebe) constructed under the roof of the cabin in Maine where we stayed three weeks ago (the loons were the memorable aspect of our trip).

The birds had abandoned the nest and the eggs entirely, and the eggs did not hatch. As we were leaving, our host took down the nest, and gave it to us. It stayed in the trunk of our car until today, when I took it out and blipped it on the lawn. It's a modest portrayal of part of the miracle of bird reproduction--as we often see, birds don't hesitate to use materials discarded by humans in making their nests.

For anyone uncertain how to pronounce phoebe, it's fee-bee.