Design

There's been a mockingbird singing loudly lately near my office. S/he likes to perch on top of a tall conifer between the Carriage House (where my office is) and the Geology Museum, and hold forth for some time. Mockingbirds are unusual because they sing practically all year-round, not just in breeding season, and their song cycles mimic so many other bird songs as well as other sounds that they've heard. Sometimes I'm easily able to pick out the songs that are mimicked (in the sound clip in this link , listen for Carolina Wren, Tufted Titmouse, and Eastern Towhee!) In fall, both males and females sing, staking claim to feeding territories rich with berries and other fruits.

Late this afternoon, it started to rain. It's been awhile here. I was working in my office and activity out the window caught my eye. Mockingbirds, a group of at least five, were perched in the Gordonia outside enjoying the rain. They were flapping their wings, fluffing their feathers, and definitely looked happy to finally have a bit of a bath. What fun!

It's almost dark, and a mockingbird is still singing. Their song cycle is lovely, and now a familiar voice almost year-round. It's an expectant time, songs and calls encouraged by longer days marking territories and prompting notice by potential mates. I saw a bluebird pair at the Garden yesterday morning investigating one of our nest boxes. It's not one of the most desirable, so I don't think they'll set up residence. But, it was fun to watch them ducking into the box in turn, seemingly trying to decide if THIS box might be suitable.

I've seen a hawk perched up high in a declining oak in the early morning for some time. The tree is below our big parking lot (at work), but gives him/her a great view of the meadows in the morning. It's one of our red-shouldered hawks - we have two pairs, I think, at the Garden where I work. Today I had my camera, so was able to 'see' a bit closer. A mockingbird was singing nearby. And persimmons were ripe and ready to eat.

Late this afternoon in the Garden, I saw a large group of cedar waxwings swoop around and settle in a flowering hickory. Taking a few shots (without a good zoom lens), here's a view of a couple of cedar waxwings and a bluebird. There was also a mockingbird in the group, but they were largely cedar waxwings.

The first day of spring is here, complete with expanding buds, accelerating growth, and a perfect blue sky. I opened an office window this morning, to let some fresh air in, and am now listening to one of our resident mockingbirds holding forth. He often likes to perch in the tall dawn redwood, but this morning, he's a bit farther away. I love to listen to his song cycles -- there's the wren, then the jay, and then the chickadee, mixed in with other songs he mimics. What fun and a wonderful accompaniment to computer work! As I left the house this morning, I caught a glimpse of a bird with a bright-yellow tail hopping around near the big oak - the yellow patch on the rump is a giveaway. It probably was a male yellow-rumped warbler on his way north from winter breeding grounds. I hadn't seen one in our garden before.