| While barbequing ribs over the weekend, I suddenly | | | | the medal rounds. |
| realized that there was no musical accompaniment by | | | | Over the next few days I looked throughout the |
| any of the local mockingbirds that usually serenade | | | | neighborhood and did not see a single Mockingbird, |
| me in the morning. In fact I have only seen one of | | | | except the one in my yard. Last year there were |
| these melody thieves this year. What's happening? | | | | several males, each occupying a section of my |
| A call to the local farm extension agency proved | | | | wooded yard, ready to defend their nests should an |
| futile. Other folks had called them about an absense | | | | intruder emerge. |
| of Mockingbird music, but the county agent didn't | | | | Their nests are never far from the ground and the |
| know why the birds were gone. Maybe they weren't | | | | female lays four to six bluish green eggs that are |
| anywhere else, but in my area in the south, there | | | | speckled with brown spots. We have plenty of |
| were few morning musicals being staged each day. | | | | bushes and small trees around our house. Areas in |
| So far, I have only seen one Mockingbird this year | | | | which there were nests last year are empty now. |
| and it was skinny. I surmised that he must have been | | | | It is a little late for nesting Mockingbirds, so I wonder |
| from out of town for his songs didn't seem familiar | | | | if this melancholy female made a nest this year. I |
| to me. He also seemed to have a limited repertoire, | | | | miss seeing these birds, both male and female, diving |
| for he repeated the same calls for over an hour as | | | | at an unfortunate cat, dog, coyote or raccoon which |
| he flew from tree to tree in my back yard. In | | | | have wandered too close to their territories. These |
| addition, to my untrained ear, all of his songs sounded | | | | birds will even swoop down on humans that are |
| sad. | | | | about to trespass close to their nest. |
| While it's not unusual for there to be repetition in a | | | | Mockingbirds are about eight to ten inches in length. |
| Mockingbird's song, it's not common for there to be | | | | They have a long tail in comparison to its body and |
| only a few tunes in its program. At a minimum, | | | | are a light gray color with their undersides an |
| normally there would be several different songs. | | | | off-white. Its tail and wings are darker gray with |
| Up to this point I had assumed that this was a male | | | | white spots. |
| bird, but after careful study, I decided this was a | | | | It is not unusual to see one of these songbirds |
| female. Unfortunately there didn't seem to be a male | | | | walking through a lawn, expanding its wings upward |
| version anywhere nearby, but she kept mournfully | | | | every few steps. No one really knows why they do |
| singing her songs, hoping to attract one. | | | | this, but it is argued among experts that the bird is |
| Rating her performance like you would a figure | | | | trying to startle insects and worms that are hiding in |
| skater, I would have to say that technically she was | | | | the grass. If the bugs are moving, then it is much |
| very good, posting a 5.966. For artistic interpretation | | | | easier to locate and eat them for breakfast. |
| though, she only received a 4.978. With an overall | | | | Mockingbirds, when they are close by are often |
| score of only 5.472, she would not have made it to | | | | ignored. When they are gone, they are missed. |