A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Hobbies, Crafts and Creativity The Bird Lovers Forum My Friend the Mocking Bird *video*

I see this mocking bird everyday at work,, he is always in the same tree I park under at work,,,,
I tried my hand at videoing it today,, I had to have the camera raised above my head so I wasn't too steady,

Was that him singing?

The next two photos are really nice!!!

Yes that was him,,,,,,

Love it Diane! I miss my mockingbird - he comes around once it starts warming up here, and sings through the summer.

Good pictures too!

Yep That's a Mocker doing a TINY part of his full repertoire. In the third picture of him, you caught him showing his nictating membrane.

Thornius....where is that and what is it???

The Nictating Membrane is the SECOND eyelid found on each eye of birds and reptiles. On the last picture it is an opaque light gray coating over the eye of the Mocker. It is opaque on the outside ONLY. The bird can see through it like it isn't even there. It protects the bird's eyes from wind damage while flying and from branches in heavy brush.

I have mockers in my yard year 'round. I didn't realize that's what they were until recently. I finally looked them up because they are so plentiful.

Annette

I have two. One of them has been with me for 6 years, Mr. Mocky. He runs all the Starlings out of my yard, but leaves the rest of the birds untouched. He is a true friend.


MR. MOCKY, unsure of the strange visitor to his birdbath!

Have you seen any of them tequila mockingbirds around?

Nope, Sure haven't.

Maybe Atticus Finch has!!

Hey Thorney,, I believe I have a Juvenile Mocking Bird ,, I found him/her in the tree in my front yard! I saw two But was lucky to have captured one,, they're body is right now about the size an a adult hummingbird,, When I first saw it I thought it was a hummingbird until it landed.they were struggling to fly from branch to branch,, the other one managed to get up very high in the thick of the branches and leaves,, I took lots of pictures but this was the only clear one,

You have a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, one of the BEST birds you can get in Winter. Note the broken white eye-ring, egg-shaped (and sized) body and tiny, slender, pointed bill? That means Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. The Males have a BRILLIANT RED patch on top of the head that is SOMETIMES visible,that gives this bird its name. THIS bird IS my FAVORITE WINTER bird. Here is a picture I took of a male on my front porch rail three years ago with my old camera. I was about 12 inches away. These birds are VERY tame but VERY hyperactive.

RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET (MALE - DISPLAYING)

Juvenile Mockers look like the adults, only smaller.

But it was soooooooooo small,,,,,,,,,,, is the one on your porch as small as I described the one in my picture?? I've never seen one before,, and yes it does look like that Only NOT as colorful,, Thanks Thorney, I don't know what I'd do with out the Bird man Here!!!!!!

Kinglets ARE soooooooooo small, not much bigger than Hummers. It was the lighting that made the colors look different. Ruby-Crowned are a yellowish/olive-green color,with a bluish-gray head and the bright red cap on the males. Females look the same without the red cap. These birds like suet.

I've tried the suet,,,,,,,, squirrels destroy it in a matter of hours, smart little burgers figure out how to open the cage

mannnnn alive I just looked at my feeders and I have to refill them again!!!!! I just filled them Sunday,, I believe the doves are working on them,, ( probably Squirrels too) Sometimes I have up to 20 or more ( doves) out there I've seen them sitting on the finch feeder hard for them to balance but they sure are on it! and it makes it spill out, ,so i guess they've figured out how to make it come out , Also Saw a Large Crow in the top of the tree,,,, cawwwwwwing LOUD!,,,, welllllllll I asked for Birds and now I've got 'em

OH I've been using the seedmix from the Audubon Society I get at Pet smart,,,, This seeds mixture seems to be what they like the best, so far,,, Do I continue with that seed mix in the spring,, or do I need to change it out??

ONE More thing,,,,,,,,, have you heard of the "Bark Butter" that you smear On Trees for wood peckers??
http://www.wbu.com/barkbutter/

Use the SAME seed mix all year. I use Black Oil Sunflower seed. You can get the same results as "Bark Butter" by rubbing a cake of suet into the bark of trees. Wear gloves. Messy.

As for the doves, they are GROUND and PLATFORM feeders. Spread seed over the ground UNDER your feeders or on TOP of a platform feeder. They'll like it, YOU'LL like it!

[quote=Thornius]You have a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, one of the BEST birds you can get in Winter.

why do you say one of the best? Because it's sort of tame?

the cat likes for you to put the seed on the ground too.

Kinglets are so tame and cute and hyperactive and photogenic. I LOVE to see them. I saw one New Year's Eve this year.