This grey bird has been in my crab apple tree the last
few day eating fruit with the Robins. An albino? LOL!
She obviously preferred fruit to seed.
And she was large..just like an American Robin.
So I looked her up online!
She's a Northern Mockingbird!***
The Northern Mockingbird gets its name from its ability to mimic the songs of other birds; in fact, they can imitate anything from insects to car alarms! They do not migrate and virtually survive on feeders during the winter months. During the other seasons, they are known for eating a wide variety of insects. They can be found from southern Canada to southern Mexico and the Caribbean.
****
Turns out Miss Mockingbird here is a bully! She runs all the other birds out of the crab apple tree and fiercely guards her territory! This is all happening just outside my window and as I sit here at my computer, she certainly has been
entertaining. Some birds are sweet and kind and some birds are
selfish and mean....just like people, right? LOL!
*****
If you have a bird you cannot identify, this website uses your zip code and gives you pictures of all the birds found in your area!
Click HERE to go to Scott's Bird Identifier.
♥
Sounds like a feisty li'l bird, that's for sure!
ReplyDeleteFrom what I remember about my brother's home in California that they sometimes like to sing early evening and into the night. I watched robins the other day devouring fruit from a tree while they were waiting for warmer weather.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to the bird identifier! I think it will come in handy.
ReplyDeleteI'm just so amazed at the wide variety of birds you have in your backyard (window!)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Bird Identifier.
does not sound like a nice bird at all...pretty cool to be able to mimic like that though...
ReplyDeleteNo, not nice...but really pretty! lol.
ReplyDeleteShe doesn't have a mate, either...gee, I wonder why! hee.
ReplyDeleteOh! How AWESOME!
ReplyDeleteI have never seen one around here!
A beauty of a bird for sure...I love looking up birds too! ;D
ReplyDeleteAh, these are truly cute. You take best shots of birds. I love how well they fit into the red background.;) Now when neighbors cut away all the trees (sigh) there are going to be less birds around my house.
ReplyDeletexoxo
I love the sound of birds !!!! I told my husband that a few years ago, and for my birthday one year he got me two cockatoo's, and then they had two babys, but every time my phone would ring they would start squaking,, so much that i couldnt hear my self on the phone..so now i just love the sound of "Outside, wild birds"...lol
ReplyDeleteOh, Betsy, I love the little mockingbirds. Some think of them as mean... I just see them as fiesty and fierce. LOL! They have such scrawny little legs and they think they are big stuff! They crack me up! We do enjoy them year round here.
ReplyDeleteKaren ~ my parakeets do the same thing!
ReplyDeleteTanna ~ oh, she is fiesty that is for sure. And she sure is entertaining! I hope she stays around all summer and eats the mosquitos!
ReplyDeleteI am a total birdwatcher. If you think mockingbird is bad we have lots of cowbirds-- Next parasites. The mockingbird dives at my dog every time I take her for a walk.
ReplyDeleteart2cee2 ~ oh, we have cowbirds! They are something else! Did you know that they lay their eggs in other bird's nests so they don't have to raise their young?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there is a British equivalent of your bird identifier site, I must check as I am hopeless at identifying birds which I tend to characterise as either big intimidating ones or little scruffy ones.
ReplyDeleteHoly...! Cowbirds "lay their eggs in other bird's nests so they don't have to raise their young?" Really? Seriously? What a sleazy trick!
ReplyDeleteI can see it now...
Male Bird: Honey, I can't believe it! You cheated on me!
Female Bird: I did not, sweetheart! I swear I didn't!
Male Bird: Then why don't any of these babies look like me?!?
Wow... I wonder how many bird divorces cowbirds have caused!
Alan ~ if there is, please send me the link! I'd love to see it!
ReplyDeleteSilver ~ I'm serious! I did a post on them here...
ReplyDeletehttp://myfivemen.blogspot.com/search?q=cowbirds
@Alan: "Big intimidating ones" or "little scruffy ones" is enough for someone like me, who doesn't pay too much attention to birds until they're on his dinner plate!
ReplyDelete[ducks]*
*No pun intended.
So you like duck? lol
ReplyDelete@Betsy: I'll check out that link. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I like duck, chicken, turkey, ostrich...
And I bet cowbirds taste like beef! ha.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you think!
ReplyDeleteYou have such great wildlife around where you live! Love all of the bird pictures! :)
ReplyDeleteWow the Silver Fox has a lot to say, he must just sit and talk all day.
ReplyDeleteWhile you watch the birds, make sure your car is away from the turds.
Don't you just love it when it gets all clean, then those birds be all mean.
They leave a nice white spot on it somewhere, just ruffling your hair.
The cats would be licking their lips if they saw all those birds in the tree and be bugging at me.
As they'd want to go out, but they'll have to settle for trout.
Also I liked the cheer now I must get back to work I fear.
@Rhymetime:
ReplyDeleteDo you imply I talk too much?
I might get riled if I thought such.
But no, I'm sure you only teased,
So I'm amused (if not quite pleased).
I've rhymed for years. You doubt? Methinks
I'll send you 47 links!
(I over-state, but not by much!)
But then again, we'll keep in touch.
(I think that prophecy is fair.
I see you've found my Fox's Lair...)
No one can never talk to much, unless they speak in dutch.
ReplyDeleteThen I wouldn't understand and move to a different end of the land.
47 links would be way to many, that's more than the equivalent of a penny.
But less than a buck, so I could be in luck.
Yes I found your little lair Mr. Fox, so when the cat needs food I won't bother an ox.
I'll sneak into your lair and fill my gut, then run back to my little hut.
Ok now I think we started a big old rant, Betsy might go and squash us like an ant.
Pat ~ I'm laughing to hard to squash any one!
ReplyDeleteI think a rivalry has just begun!
You do know your tree is creating the local tavern for the birds....they get drunk on the berries!! Sounds like you have a vicious alcoholic on your hands!
ReplyDeleteMaggie ~ I'm sure you are right! Those berries are from last fall and surely are fermented by now! :)
ReplyDeleteWhoa! To paraphrase the Drifters, "Save the Last Branch for Me!"
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool bird!! She is beautiful! Aggressive huh? Well, it could just be PMS!! Ha!!
ReplyDeleteHugs
SueAnn
That sounds like a brilliant website. I've not seen a mockingbird before. In fact, the book 'To kill a mockingbird', I thought used a made up bird's name. How embarrassing!!!
ReplyDeleteSarahx
wow, never seen that kind before. what a great site too!
ReplyDeleteNice pics Betsy. I've seen Blue Jays take after squirrels.. hee hee
ReplyDeleteLove those mockingbirds. When they sit on the roof of the barn next to my home, they'll change direction & sound all at the same time!
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting what insight about human nature you can gleam from watching birds outside your window.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is how the male sings far into the dark of night. Fun the first night or two and after that you want to put him out of his misery. Okay, maybe invest in a pair of earplugs. ;)
ReplyDeletehttp://justseven.blogspot.com/2008/06/cry-in-dark.html
so very special in the way the images are colored ..sweet sweet bird !!
ReplyDeletethanks for the link to the terrific resource.
ReplyDeleteit's odd we don't have many mockingbirds around my house
i had a stellar bird day yesterday - first i saw a kestrel then just fifteen minutes later a cooper's hawk!
She is beautiful! Mockingbirds always seem to be on the bully'ish side.
ReplyDeleteShe looks so pretty, but I've heard that Mockingbirds are very territorial. Thanks for the bird ID link!
ReplyDelete