Not an unknown bird, but not seen in our yard in such numbers, we’ve been invaded recently by mockingbirds.
They fly like demons, zooming and swooping all over the place, from tree to ground to chair to fence and then like a flash into the hedges.
I think there are at least two pair in the hedges separating us from the yard to our south, as well as a couple pairs in the big trees down the hill over the back.
During feeding time in the mid-morning and before sunset we’ll easily see eight or ten (or maybe more, they’re all over the place and it’s hard to track them) bombing around. This guy keeps sitting here and watching the lizards on the tree, but I’ve never seen him try to catch one.
As with the Black Phoebe we saw in July, they love the lawn chairs out on the grass. There are usually a couple on the ground and a couple up on the chair.
Some folks find their song, especially at night, to be loud and annoying. I find their ability to mimic sounds and sing incredibly complex songs for hours on end to be marvelous and musical.
Viva la mockingbirds!
