# I killed the phoebes!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-killed-the-phoebes/621069
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [May 6, 2012, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-killed-the-phoebes/621069 "2012-05-06T15:34:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Carptracker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carptracker)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2012, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-killed-the-phoebes/621069/1 "2012-05-06T15:34:47Z")
Phoebes have nested every year on top of the fluorescent light in the barn over my boat. I love to listen to the babies chirping for food, and to watch the adults catching insects from the air outside the barn. I’d just put a tarp down under the nest to catch the crap from the nest. They are relatively nondescript birds, but I loved them. We pulled the boat out to work on it last week, and I shut the door to the barn. Normally, the barn door does not shut all the way because the tongue of the boat gets in the way. Who knew that termite-ridden old barn was tight enough to hold a small bird?? When I opened the door yesterday, mom was dead under the nest, and babies were all dead too. Lots of huge, disgusting grey maggots on mom and in the nest. I will miss them.
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### Author:  [@Carptracker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carptracker)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2012, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-killed-the-phoebes/621069/2 "2012-05-06T15:37:43Z")
That is, I will miss the birds, not the maggots, which are now fish food.
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### Author:  [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2012, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-killed-the-phoebes/621069/3 "2012-05-06T16:46:47Z")
good nest sites are found by birds every year. some bird will find the building before long.