Say’s Phoebe at Forest Home Cemetery

This bird was found early Sunday morning but was lost right away. It was relocated on Monday morning and again disappeared. Again, it was relocated and seen for several hours until it disappeared for a while. I was not able to get there until about 5pm and there were at least 8 others searching for it. I eventually found it in the “chapel garden crypts”. When I first saw it, I watched it fly about 5′ to four different places on the grass, presumably chasing insects. I watched this bird for the next 45 minutes or so and it generally worked this one area the entire time. It even flew into the chapel area and sat on the pegs of the wall. It was grabbing insects right of the chapel wall. At one point it was almost dinner for a Cooper’s Hawk. It was feeding down in the grass of the garden area and the hawk came flying in from the south. The hawk was within a few feet of it until they got to the black steel fence, in which the phoebe went through it and the hawk had to go up and over. That quick change of direction for the hawk, allowed enough time for the phoebe to escape. Wow, what an intense 15 seconds! If the fence wasn’t there, I’m almost positive it would have been dinner. Nature at its finest! As of 7pm 5/23, it was still being seen. I’ve included a map of the cemetery as a guide, if someone decides to search for it. It appears to be moving all over the cemetery. It has been seen at the garden crypts, #17, #36, #40 and today by #14 and #19 area. Good luck if you try for it! Photos below are from 5/2/22. Enjoy!

ForestHomeMap.jpg (927×1200) (foresthomecemetery.com)

*Update* as of 8am Wednesday morning, it is currently being seen in near section 17 & 20. Good luck!