I saw a black phoebe hunting for bugs in a marshy area in North Portland.

The bird is a small flycatcher that perches in prominent low areas and bobs its tail constantly.

I am familiar with its cousin, the eastern phoebe. I often enjoyed watching the eastern phoebe hunt when I lived in Minnesota. The two birds are in the same genus.

YouTube has a number of good videos on its behavior.

The Sibley Guide to Birds captures my feelings:

“The joy of small discoveries is part of the great appeal of birding, and patient study is always rewarded.”

When I saw the busy little hunter, I had no idea what it was other than supposing it was in the flycatcher family. Sure enough, the guide confirmed my impression as well as details such as:

• May recall juncos due to its solid black and gray head and back
• Tail bobbing similar to eastern phoebe that I am familiar with.
• The guide’s notes on habitat, distribution, and other behaviors corroborates what i had only a few seconds to actually observe.

I find that new birds fit into a broad and nuanced conceptual framework. There is a spot for each one in my head, almost like the gaps in the early versions of the periodic table where the properties of the missing elements were predicted. I only need to get out there and see and study them and place them.

I returned to the same spot and saw the black phoebe again. Seeing (and confirming) this little bird was a joyful moment for me. I look forward to observing more in the field.

About the photo

My precious rat, Pepper. She is the shyer and more affectionate one (compared to her sister Salt) and is more likely to be still and accept pets and scratches on the scruff of the neck.