Comments on: The Mockingbird brings spring to Sonoma County http://www.americanbirdguide.com/wordpress/?p=50 Birdwatching and identifying birds in Sonoma County, CA. Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:59:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: info http://www.americanbirdguide.com/wordpress/?p=50#comment-6234 Tue, 26 Jun 2007 01:28:47 +0000 http://www.americanbirdguide.com/wordpress/?p=50#comment-6234 Hi Candy, I agree...the display of the Mockingbird is just fascinating. We've spent hours listening to our resident male in the summer evenings, and the electric pole across from our house seems to be one of his favorite daytime perches. He looks just like a little helicopter twirling up in the air! What a proud fellow. Thanks for adding your observations to this thread. They are good ones! Hi Candy,
I agree…the display of the Mockingbird is just fascinating. We’ve spent hours listening to our resident male in the summer evenings, and the electric pole across from our house seems to be one of his favorite daytime perches. He looks just like a little helicopter twirling up in the air! What a proud fellow.

Thanks for adding your observations to this thread. They are good ones!

]]> by: info http://www.americanbirdguide.com/wordpress/?p=50#comment-6232 Tue, 26 Jun 2007 01:27:12 +0000 http://www.americanbirdguide.com/wordpress/?p=50#comment-6232 Hi Tommy, Nice to see you here. I would suggest you try getting American and Lesser Goldfinches to come with a thistle seed stocking feeder. I can't imagine the Mockingbird would threaten, or feel threatened, by them. Scrub Jays, on the other hand, do steal eggs from other birds' nests, and there may have been a battle between your Mockingbird and Scrub Jay families and the Mockingbirds won. You might also try a ground level feeder for Thrushes, California Towhees, Spotted Towhees and California Quails. These lowly ground birds seem to go ignored by the more vigorous perching birds. In regards to the breeding season, this is normally Mar-June where we live, but I have noticed that many of the nesting birds on my property have had 2 batches of babies this year. My theory is that all of the rain we had here last year made an abundance of food and is allowing this extra batch of babies (a good thing for the survival of all birds). So, the Mockingbird in your neighborhood may be doing his displays a bit longer this year. Don't give up hope. We've got a Mockingbird here and tons of other birds and they seem to get along. Providing good seed and little dishes of water for them is your best bet! Good luck and I hope you'll stop by again! Hi Tommy,
Nice to see you here. I would suggest you try getting American and Lesser Goldfinches to come with a thistle seed stocking feeder. I can’t imagine the Mockingbird would threaten, or feel threatened, by them. Scrub Jays, on the other hand, do steal eggs from other birds’ nests, and there may have been a battle between your Mockingbird and Scrub Jay families and the Mockingbirds won.

You might also try a ground level feeder for Thrushes, California Towhees, Spotted Towhees and California Quails. These lowly ground birds seem to go ignored by the more vigorous perching birds.

In regards to the breeding season, this is normally Mar-June where we live, but I have noticed that many of the nesting birds on my property have had 2 batches of babies this year. My theory is that all of the rain we had here last year made an abundance of food and is allowing this extra batch of babies (a good thing for the survival of all birds).

So, the Mockingbird in your neighborhood may be doing his displays a bit longer this year. Don’t give up hope. We’ve got a Mockingbird here and tons of other birds and they seem to get along. Providing good seed and little dishes of water for them is your best bet!

Good luck and I hope you’ll stop by again!

]]> by: Tommy http://www.americanbirdguide.com/wordpress/?p=50#comment-6223 Mon, 25 Jun 2007 23:46:55 +0000 http://www.americanbirdguide.com/wordpress/?p=50#comment-6223 The only problem I have with our mockingbirds (a male and a femaile who are taking forever to mate) is that they've driven all the other beautiful birds out of our yard. For example, I used to enjoy watching the scrubjays in the backyard, but they won't come near the place anymore. How can I attract more kinds of birds with the mockingbirds making such a huge display of their mating? I've just installed a new platform feeder and will be picking up a birdbath tomorrow. Hope these things will work. Also, how long is mating season for mockingbirds? These two have been singing for the past six weeks. The only problem I have with our mockingbirds (a male and a femaile who are taking forever to mate) is that they’ve driven all the other beautiful birds out of our yard. For example, I used to enjoy watching the scrubjays in the backyard, but they won’t come near the place anymore. How can I attract more kinds of birds with the mockingbirds making such a huge display of their mating? I’ve just installed a new platform feeder and will be picking up a birdbath tomorrow. Hope these things will work. Also, how long is mating season for mockingbirds? These two have been singing for the past six weeks.

]]> by: Bosco1 http://www.americanbirdguide.com/wordpress/?p=50#comment-5935 Wed, 20 Jun 2007 18:36:07 +0000 http://www.americanbirdguide.com/wordpress/?p=50#comment-5935 Oh! I forgot to add how I love to see his little tail pumps as he sits on our fence. Oh! I forgot to add how I love to see his little tail pumps as he sits on our fence.

]]> by: Bosco1 http://www.americanbirdguide.com/wordpress/?p=50#comment-5934 Wed, 20 Jun 2007 18:35:19 +0000 http://www.americanbirdguide.com/wordpress/?p=50#comment-5934 Hi Miriam, I have to say that I really enjoy the Mockingbird that has decided that part of our yard is his territory. He flies from the telephone wires down to our fence and back and around and all over. He is such a funny little bird to watch, and I especially enjoy seeing his white wing bars as he flies down from the wires. I was very amused one evening, to see him chasing crows around the fields if they got near his fruit tree, and even saw him chase a Turkey Vulture. They are truly amusing little birds, and I for one (or two) have enjoyed meeting the little fellow. Candy Hi Miriam,
I have to say that I really enjoy the Mockingbird that has decided that part of our yard is his territory. He flies from the telephone wires down to our fence and back and around and all over. He is such a funny little bird to watch, and I especially enjoy seeing his white wing bars as he flies down from the wires. I was very amused one evening, to see him chasing crows around the fields if they got near his fruit tree, and even saw him chase a Turkey Vulture. They are truly amusing little birds, and I for one (or two) have enjoyed meeting the little fellow.

Candy

]]> by: info http://www.americanbirdguide.com/wordpress/?p=50#comment-4902 Sun, 03 Jun 2007 04:16:52 +0000 http://www.americanbirdguide.com/wordpress/?p=50#comment-4902 Hi Notafan, Wow, you must REALLY not like mockingbirds. Well, to each his own. Some folks, after all, love heavy metal. It may be that you have extra good hearing and cannot tone out the sound as others can. As for me, I spent half an hour in my yard today watching a mockingbird sing his heart out. I counted some 30 different songs. To me, that's amazing...to you, it's not so good! Thanks for taking the time to comment. I hope you'll stop by again. Hi Notafan,
Wow, you must REALLY not like mockingbirds. Well, to each his own. Some folks, after all, love heavy metal.
It may be that you have extra good hearing and cannot tone out the sound as others can.

As for me, I spent half an hour in my yard today watching a mockingbird sing his heart out. I counted some 30 different songs.

To me, that’s amazing…to you, it’s not so good!

Thanks for taking the time to comment. I hope you’ll stop by again.

]]> by: notafan http://www.americanbirdguide.com/wordpress/?p=50#comment-4893 Sun, 03 Jun 2007 00:22:07 +0000 http://www.americanbirdguide.com/wordpress/?p=50#comment-4893 i'm a big environmentalist and i love the earth, and try to live responsibly for the most part... but i'm sorry... the mockingbird is the most annoying creature ever to inhabit the planet. i am now, since it is mating season, forced to listen to the obnoxious creatures day and night.. every day... every night... i work from home.... it is like living in a prison. earplugs get sore after a while... and there is only so much music one can listen to. my wish for the future--- MORE yard cats. p.s. Tchaikovsky is better... ANYDAY. i’m a big environmentalist and i love the earth, and try to live responsibly for the most part… but i’m sorry… the mockingbird is the most annoying creature ever to inhabit the planet. i am now, since it is mating season, forced to listen to the obnoxious creatures day and night.. every day… every night… i work from home…. it is like living in a prison. earplugs get sore after a while… and there is only so much music one can listen to. my wish for the future— MORE yard cats.
p.s. Tchaikovsky is better… ANYDAY.

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