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phoebe nest in defiance of gravity



I've read that phoebes have an affinity for bridges and nest under them. But
I always assumed that they made their nests on top of a horizontal surface
in the bridge structure, such as a crossbeam. The few phoebes' nests I've
ever seen (not under bridges) were all on top of something -- a light
fixture or a beam.

So I was very surprised while kayaking on the Eno River to see a phoebe fly
to a nest that was attached to a smooth vertical concrete wall under the Red
Mill Rd. bridge (Durham County). Basically the nest looked like a barn
swallow's except that it was made of vegetable matter and not mud. When I
paddled over for a closer look I thought I might find the phoebe's nest
supported by an old barn swallow nest, but all I could see was a few old mud
daubers' chambers under one side of the nest. I'm guessing this mud provided
the needed anchor point for the phoebe to attach a nest to -- though it sure
didn't look like enough to build on.

Have other folks seen a phoebe's nest clinging to a vertical surface? How do
you think the bird gets it to stay up?
Ginger_Travis
Chapel Hill, N.C.