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  • Writer's pictureJenny Lynn Keller

One Smart Bird


When a bird brain outsmarts you, what should you do? Seriously, I’m running out of solutions. For years a family of Eastern Phoebes has raised its young at our house. They built their first nest on the backside of the garage. As the family expanded, another generation added a nest on the garage’s front exterior ledge. Their kids found a suitable ledge on a front porch post, repeatedly bombed everything on it, and earned my ire. In retaliation I installed strips of stainless steel bird repellent spikes every place I could reach. Hurray, no nests last year. This spring they outsmarted me with a new building technique I’m calling the Phoebe tiny house. The mini-Einsteins downsized their nest to fit on a two-inch ledge under the breezeway. Yikes, soon I’ll have Phoebe nests or metal bird spikes everywhere if I don’t find a solution. Any bird-friendly suggestions?


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