Pic of the Day

Northern Mocking Bird, Mimus polyglottos:

Edinburg Scenic Wetlands; Edinburg, Texas

     Edinburg Scenic Wetlands in Edinburg, Texas is a great birding location.  It was there that I saw and photographed a Buff-bellied Hummingbird, a lifer (see post for November 19, Click Here).  While I was photographing that Buff-bellied Hummer I saw this Northern Mockingbird perched in a small tree about fifty feet from me.  Now, I grew-up in North Alabama where Mockingbirds are as common as pigeons roosting under a downtown overpass.  With that said, I have only taken a few photos of Mockingbirds, and none of them have been nice close-ups.  So when I saw this bird, I slowly made my way to its perch.  Thankfully it stayed put, and let me get some great close-ups. 

     Mockingbirds are mimickers, and sing a repertoire of just about every other bird in and around their territory.  I remember when I was a kid, walking out of the house when a killdeer gave a loud alarm call.  Startled by the call, I turned and saw a Mockingbird making the Killdeer alarm call.

     An unusual call that I once heard in a Mockingbirds repertoire years ago was that of a Whip-poor-will.  The Mockingbird was perched atop a bush singing song after song when it let go the most perfect, “whip-poor-will” I had ever heard.  It is possible that the Mockingbird gave a better “whip-poor-will,” than an actual Whip-poor-will itself.

Why to Mockingbirds Mimic?  Click Here

Want to here the Mockingbird.  Click Here

both images:  Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/320 second @ f6.3