Monday, February 2, 2009

Mockingbird and friends

I love Northern Mockingbirds. I love their voices, with their wide repetoire of songs. I love their colors - gray, black and white, but so sharp and distinctive. And, I love their attitude - Me, Me, Me. Whether displaying over their territory or looking for food, mockers are very possessive. They don't like to share, and I enjoy their antics.

Here are some photos taken Friday thru the window at my office of my resident "work" mockingbird. (I also have a "home" mockingbird.)

Northern Mockingbird, hiding in plain sight
"If I can't see you, then you can't see me."
"I will deign to look at you now."
"Ah, peanuts. I enjoy peanuts.
These are all mine"

Hey, there! Mockingbirds don't eat seeds.

"We don't? Well, it is cold and icy and it has been all week.
I will eat whatever I care to."

"And you can't stop me."
"Mine. All mine."
"I will even perch on this tray and
eat from your tube feeder if I want to."

"Told you it was all mine."

Despite his best efforts, a few other birds made it to the feeders on Friday:

Song Sparrow
House FinchCarolina Chickadee

The Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, White-breasted Nuthatch and Tufted Titmouse refused to pose for pictures.

5 comments:

NCmountainwoman said...

You have a "work" mockingbird AND a "home" mockingbird? I don't have one at all. T'aint fair.

Very nice photographs.

Sheltiedoc said...

The first winter I was in my house I had a mockingbird take up residence on my deck in November and not allow ANY other birds into the yard all winter. I was pretty aggravated as I wanted to see more than just ONE bird; we had quite the feud going on where I would go out and chase him off, he would come back, etc...given that I had a job and a life and he had nothing better to do, he won and I finally gave up. I called him Mr Wilson after Dennis the Menace's neighbor because he was so damn possessive of "his" yard. He must have gone on ebird and found a girlfriend, because he finally disappeared and made only the occasional appearance and eventually his reign of terror was over (of course, for some reason when he was gone I actually WORRIED that something had happened to him). Now I see them occasionally but the current one (s?) seem content to share.

Mary said...

I watched one of my resident Mockingbirds wear itself out last spring chasing every bird away from every feeder (10 of them) for weeks on end. Of course, I laughed a lot but I felt the urge to sit that Mocker down and have a talk about sharing.

LOL!

dguzman said...

The book I'm reading on birdsong says that mockingbirds (and nightingales) never stop learning new songs and snippets. Smart birds!

nina at Nature Remains. said...

You know, I was wondering about a Robin I saw perched on the tree out in our pasture.
Nowhere near our feeders in the back, which only held offerings of suet and seeds--but what DO they Eat???
(when every berry is under ice!)