The Eastern Phoebes are, most years, among the first songbirds to make it back to our neighborhood in spring, and even, at times, late winter. No sooner does the Vernal Equinox arrive in March than the Phoebes move north from anywhere between the Carolinas and Mexico. Since they typically don't have to travel very far, they're the proverbial "early birds," and long before the more heralded warbler migration, there are Phoebes in residence staking a claim to territory and mates as the males sing, over and over again, a raspy imitation of their common name. But not only do they arrive early, they also tend to stay late, and they're often among the last songbirds to leave. These days, the Phoebes are mostly silent, but they're no less active, scarfing up any fly—they are flycatchers, after all—or other insect that comes close to the agile predators.