Mockingbirds: love 'em or hate 'em?

[Duer 157099]

I happen to absolutely love them. I heard one today doing his best FROG imitation for crying out loud. I love hearing them in the dead of night, when it's completely silent except for the lone mockingbird's routine.

I saw a thread here about whipporwills and saw many posts by people who don't like mockingbirds, which surprised me. They have to be the most interesting song birds alive!

I once rescued a baby mockingbird that was knocked out of a nest. It was on a day when I was leaving for a road trip. I took the baby bird with us, stopping on the way at a pet store for a little portable cage. We were gone for about a week, little baby bird did fine the whole time.

When we got home, baby's mom was hanging out in the backyard, wondering where in the world junior had gone. I put him out there in a big box, and she came and fed him. After a couple weeks, when he was just getting to the almost-ready-to-try-to-flutter-around stage, I let him out on the lawn, and she came and was coaxing him to follow her. We did this for a few days, until finally he was able to follow his mom over the fence and to whereever they went after that. I videotaped the whole thing, too.

They are awesome birds.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I can't love 'em or hate 'em -- we haven't got 'em.

I have been besieged by cardinals lately, though.

[newcriminal]

2. I can't love 'em or hate 'em - - we haven't got'em

I have been besieged by cardinals lately, though.

[Xipe Totec]

3. Love them

Their Nahuatl name is Tzentzontl (Spanish Zenzontle) - bird of four hundred voices.

[newcriminal]

6. Love them

Their Nahuatl name is Tzentzontl (Spanish Zenzontle) - bird of four hundred voices.

[Xipe Totec]

12. ...

I get it!

:applause:

Clever!

[Duer 157099]

31. You know you sounded like Stewie Griffin just then, don't you?

:)

[texas1928]

4. We raised two of them that were found in a hay baler

We got them old enough to fly and we had a peach faced love bird. The two mockingbirds were beginning to mimick it. So some where in the central Texas area, if they are still alive, there are two mockingbirds who can do a perfect peach faced lovebirds screech.

[newcriminal]

8. We raised two of them that were found in a hay baler

We got them old enough to fly and we had a peach faced love bird. The two mockingbirds were beginning to mimick it. So sone where in the central Texas area, if they are still alive, there are two mockingbirds who can do a perfect peach faced lovebirds screech

[catzies]

42. I heard a mocker do a spot-on cockatiel in my yard -- I thought it was

someone's escaped pet, until I ran outside and saw the mocker sitting in my tree and no cockatiel in sight. :rofl:

I LOVE them.

[Deja Q]

5. I love 'em!

In ranch sauce! :9

[newcriminal]

9. I love 'em!

In ranch sauce!

[LostInAnomie]

7. Kill 'em

Someone had to say it.

[newcriminal]

10. Kill'em

Someone had to say it.

[swag]

11. Love them. Miss them.

Give me mockingbirds over the greedy shrieking jays that wake me up an hour early.

[newcriminal]

13. Love them. Miss them.

Give me mockingbirds over the greedy shrieking jays that wake me up an hour early.

[khashka]

14. Hate 'em

We have a lot and the females are MEAN. Or maybe just protective of their offspring. Very protective!

There is this one little male who keeps coming up to me and doing his mating ritual thing. Cute but weird. I keep telling him he's missing the point. But he doesn't speak English. He must have imprinted on humans.

I'm in a minority, but I hate birdsong - to me it's just an annoying chirping screeching and I wish they'd shut up already!



Khash.

[newcriminal]

20. sorry no more mocking

I'm tired and going to bed. Good night all.

[Duer 157099]

23. But wait! Mockingbirds like staying up all night!

But thanks, it was funny :)

[Tikki]

26. When a big ole Owl moved into our.....

neighbor's tree I never even thought about it until I realized that
after a while that incessant screeching chatter of the mockingbirds had stopped.
I have to tell you... I was ecstatic.



Tikki

[spacelady]

15. I like them except for the brain damaged one that sat on a wire right

outside the bedroom window and started its disjointed, haphazard singing from 11pm - 4am.

[Duer 157099]

16. But that's exactly why they are so charming!!

There aren't nearly enough of them in this neighborhood, and I miss my old place that was chock full of them.

[spacelady]

18. CHIRP!!11!!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

33. He was staking out his turf

All the males do that. Want to freak him out? Play a recording of mockingbird song slightly louder than his volume.

[bertha katzenengel]

17. Cool story about the baby! I love mockingbirds.

I think they are hilarious. They'll run across the ground and stop dead -- then spread their wings in stages and fold them again in stages -- almost like someone dancing "the Robot" but far more interesting.

Love 'em!

[Redstone]

19. There was one son of a bitch mocking bird that used to keep me

awake all night where we used to live. I'd have cheerfully shot the bastard if 1) I'd had a gun and 2) I'd have been able to find him at 2 AM.

I guess you can put me in the "hate" column.

Redstone

[idgiehkt]

24. I have mixed feelings.

From a distance, I love them. I admire their talent, and versatility. Not to mention their balls, the way they won't hesitate to chase a hawk out of the neighborhood. I saw one chase a dragonfly under a moving vehicle the other day and come out the other side unharmed. However, the very tallest tree anywhere around is directly next to my cabin, and the king of the mockingbirds has to sit on top of said tree and give a concert every single morning. Starting early, goes on for about 2 hours. Has quite a repertoire. Wouldn't be any use to shoot him (not that I would) because all the other mockingbirds are lined up ready to take his place. Just have to deal with the little bastard.

[Redstone]

28. Well, you don't have to shoot him. Just catch him and cut his

tongue out, yes?

That'll serve as a warning to those in line.

Redstone

[Duer 157099]

30. Or send him to me, with tongue intact

Maybe I should start a mockingbird rescue

[Kat45]

21. I love'em!

There's one who hangs out near my yard, and I love hearing him sing in the middle of the night. The daytime is cool too. I love it when the bird is doing his 'dance' to try to attract a mate, and he goes upward and does a flip. :-)

[Duer 157099]

22. Oh! The frog guy is back right now! He's outside doing his thing

I just noticed.

Earlier today when I heard the frog, which was coming from outside and up, and I thought: what the hell? what is a frog doing outside in a tree?

But then he changed his song, as they are wont to do every few seconds, and I realized who it was! This is the first one I've heard in a really long time.

[Duer 157099]

25. If this is what they do as a mating call

then I just realized, this poor fellow is in for a disappointment, seeing as he's the first mockingbird I've heard in this neighborhood.

He's, how shall I say... 'mocking' up the wrong tree? harharhar

[texas1928]

27. We had a female that had her nest in the bush in front of our apartment.

She liked to fight. And she would call the Blue Jays. As soon as Blue Jays showed up, the fight was on. It was great fun watching them.

[Duer 157099]

29. Yeah! I mean, these birds have definite personality, don't they?

The females are feisty as hell, and protective! I mean, waiting around for a week for your baby to return from his road trip??? That was amazing dedication (but I think she was pissed that she didn't get to go too -- because we did go to Sea World in San Diego, although baby stayed in the hotel room)

[mykpart]

32. Tra la la, tweedly dee dum, it gives me a thrill

To awaken in the morning to the mockingbird's trill
Tra la la, tweedly dee dee, there's peace and good will
You're as welcome as the flowers on Mockingbird Hill!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

34. We used to have a pair who'd dive-bomb the dog...

I think they were protecting their fledglings.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

35. OMIGOD, I love them!

Our bedroom is upstairs, and there's a giant rubber tree just off-set from us...

I remember one night in particular......

It was a perfect summer night......the full moon was streaming in our sliding glass door...

The air weas soft......

And outside there was the mockingbird singing his heart out.....

I was tired and sleepy, but I did NOT want to go to sleep......

It was perfect.....

[Random_Australian]

36. I mock them, silly creatures!

Read: Love 'em, especially well barbecued.

Ok, just love them. :)

[Neshanic]

37. Love them. Tons of personality for a bird. Bad asses when

you walk by and get nailed in the back of the head by one of them. They don't seem to be bothered by you while walking towards them, but they are watching and waiting, with an occassional short mean chirp. Then when your back is to them, they go in for the kill.

My dog almost jumped out of his fur when one of these guys approached him from the back, walking in the grass, then fluttered up and tagged him on the ass. It was hysterical.

[riona]

38. We have the most talented

mockingbird ever. Gave up trying to count the different imitations he does. He goes from one perch to another periodically - very considerate of him considering we need to sleep occasionally.

[raccoon]

39. I love them. I hope one of them is singing by my grave.

Sometimes I've thought of changing my surname to something in the natural world. "Mockingbird" is one of the names I've thought about.

[Frank Cannon]

40. We had one outside our bedroom that imitated a car alarm

at 12:00 EXACTLY every night.

It was like it had a tiny Timex wristwatch.

[2bfree]

41. Love them!

We have a family that likes to hang out on our fence in the backyard. :)

[RedStateShame]

43. I'd hate to kill a mockingbird,

but I love "To Kill A Mockingbird."

[azmouse]

44. I woke up on Xmas morning to a mockingbird singing.

It was so lovely and cheerful. I love hearing them sing.

Our local news here did a story on the mockingbirds imitating cell phone rings! It turns out that with so many people using their phones outside the birds are learning to imitate the sounds made by the phones. LOL

[madinmaryland]

45. Mockingbirds: love 'em or hate 'em?

:evilgrin:

[Duer 157099]

46. You mockin' me? (done in my best DeNiro)

You mockin' me? You mockin' me? Then who the hell else are you mockin'? You mockin' me? Well, I'm the only one here. Who do the fuck do you think you're mockin'? Oh, yeah? Ok.

:)

[China_cat]

47. I usually think they're a hoot

but there was one that used to sit outside the door of my workshop and sound just like my telephone. I can't tell you how many times I picked up the handset only to hear a dial tone.