Our little patch of the planet, Dear Reader, has recently acquired the addition of a mockingbird. I count this as a good thing because I enjoy the sound of songbirds, and find the symphony of songbirds to which we are treated just at dawn each day very enjoyable.
Our regular compliment of performers includes squadrons of Gold Finches, Carolina Wrens, Tufted Titmice, Cardinals, Robins and a few Killdeer – although they are not so melodic as the others. These woods are also home to many Downy Woodpeckers who skitter up and down trees as though gravity were of no consequence whatsoever, a gang of Blue Jays, who are rowdy bullies, several Red Tail Hawks (the primary reason we can’t raise chickens), and an increasing population of Pileated Woodpeckers – upon whom the Woody the Woodpecker character was based. As large as a chicken (in fact folks around here refer to them as “Wood Hens”) their raucous laughter can be heard easily a quarter mile away. Fortunately, they are not early risers.
This Northern Mockingbird sleeps late as well. Like many of my Yankee friends he does not become active until mid-morning.
Tennessee is not considered part of the Deep South, we’re sort of fence sitters in North-South matters. In fact, the Great Civil War split many Tennessee families as brothers and fathers marched off in different directions to join in the fighting. I mention this only because at the time this article is being written our nation is commemorating (I refuse to use the word “celebrating”) the 150th anniversary of the Civil War (April 12th 1861).
There is a Southern Mockingbird, but information on him is sketchy and conflicting. Photos indicate that his color is more dramatic; more black and white than tones of grey. His song is a bit different too… it has more of an Eddie Arnold drawl to it. OK, I’m kidding about that.
Our mockingbird belongs here in the sorta-south because he is a rebel. Our bird book says that Mockingbirds typically repeat each snippet (phrase) of birdsong six to eight times before going on to the next phrase. Ours sings each phrase just once in rapid succession until he gets to the end of his repertoire, then repeats the whole sequence. If you are interested, click here to listen to normal mockingbird song. The result of our fellow’s serenade is an entertaining birdsong sampler.
When we lived in St. Louis we also had a resident mockingbird, but we hated that fellow. Our dislike of him was not really his fault, for Mockingbirds mock what they hear. Our city-bound Mockingbird recreated with startling accuracy the sounds of motorcycles winding up, tires screeching, children screaming at one another and the garbage truck making its rounds. Had that fellow also been a late sleeper, this would have been fine, but he wasn’t. He would sit in a tree just outside our bedroom window and go into his performance at the break of dawn – much too early for our then-yankee, city-folk lifestyle.
Yelling at him did no good, he would merrily carry on until either the fellow next door or I would go out and throw something up into the tree to encourage him to find another venue that morning.
We very much prefer our current mockingbird friend!
Which songbirds serenade you where you live? Do you have a favorite? Thanks for reading!
Hold-up! I found this video and the featured bird behaves quite a lot like our new friend.
And, not to be outdone, our friends in Australia have the amazing Lyrebird. Near the end of this clip, Mr. Attenborough comments on the irony of the Lyrebird imitating the chainsaws that were dooming the bird by destroying its home. And, Melinda you will be interested in its reproduction of a car alarm! 😆
