The eastern phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) is one of the most delightful flycatchers we get to see in Central Park and throughout the parks of New York City.
Eastern phoebe, Green-Wood Cemetery, October 31, 2021
When I visited Sylvan Waters in Green-Wood Cemetery on April 7, 2024, almost every tree surrounding the pond had an eastern phoebe or two or three perched on a branch, ready to take off for a tasty bug, and then return to reconnoiter.
Eastern phoebe, Green-Wood Cemetery, March 28, 2022
Eastern phoebe, Green-Wood Cemetery, September 20, 2021
One of the best days I've had was at the end of March 2015, when phoebes were flying around Turtle Pond and perching repeatedly on some bare branches coming out of the water. (Unfortunately, those branches were later pulled out, and no more phoebe days at Turtle Pond!)
Eastern phoebe at Turtle Pond, March 29, 2015
The phoebes eat flying insects, and so they take off from their perches, grab what they can, and return to the perch to wait the sight of another good bug. That's why I so often see them on fences, or as we did in 2015, on a bare branch.
The Filming the Feathers video covers sightings from 2013 through 2016, although I couldn't find any video or photos for 2014, so there is nothing from that year, even though I imagine I saw some then! But a look through March and October of 2014 revealed no shots or video. Ah, well! The music is by Haydn, part of the "Lark" symphony. I used the same music in the Say's Phoebe video.
This first gallery has shots from 2016, the first from March, the second from September and the last from October.
These are the shots from 2015, all from March.
