Disney Princesses Snow White, Aurora, Giselle, and Cinderella all had birds as friends. They had a special connection with their feathered friends and McKinney resident, Jolie Williams has discovered she has the Princess magic too. When a backyard wild bird decided to adopt her on New Year's Day, Williams' life took an unexpected turn.
Williams and her boyfriend had always loved animals and wildlife but took it to the next level when an Eastern Phoebe befriended them on New Year's Day. While enjoying brunch in their backyard, this aggressively social bird joined the fun by landing on William's boyfriend's foot and then on his head. Phoebe, as they affectionately call her, has been a regular visitor to their home ever since. The only exception was a two-week disappearance in the spring when they learned something new about their bird friend.
When Phoebe went missing for a couple of weeks, Williams discovered that Phoebe had a nest in the neighborhood and was caring for her eggs. After the eggs hatched, Phoebe visited Williams' home anywhere from 100-200 times a day to get food for her growing brood. Soon the baby birds were in tow to the Williams smorgasbord, and Williams and her boyfriend gave them all names. Each bird is named after a movie personality such as Braveheart from the movie Braveheart, and Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Several of the baby birds have become regulars at the Williams' dinner table visiting them daily.
Williams started researching everything she could about Eastern Phoebes. She learned that they don't eat seeds, but they are instead insectivores eating mealworms. Mealworms are the larval form of the mealworm beetle. Williams began buying mealworms at the local store Wild Birds Unlimited, but after going through 5000 mealworms in 2 weeks, she decided to try her hand at raising them herself. She is into her first trial batch and so far, so good.
The birds eat from Williams' hands and even from her lips. Williams said when she tried holding a mealworm between her lips; Phoebe unabashedly claimed her prize right off Williams' lips. While this might not sound appealing to some, Williams shared that mealworms are a good source of protein. She said that some people eat them as a substitute for nuts. Williams says she plans to experiment with a few recipes in the future to try it out.
Williams also has a seed bird feeder in her backyard, which attracts a variety of birds, including blue jays, cardinals, chickadees, Carolina wrens, and a tufted titmouse. Inside the house, she and her boyfriend own two pet dogs.
Williams grew up loving nature and animals. Her grandparents lived on 5 acres near Lake Lewisville, where she remembers many an outdoor meal watching the local wildlife. There were snakes, coyotes, opossums, and more. She grew to love them all.
If you want to see what Phoebe is up to today, check out her Facebook page, where Williams documents Phoebe's daily activities. https://www.facebook.com/PhoebeMealWorms