My office window opens onto a busy urban bus route, and the sound of traffic is always an undertone to my day. The bus brakes squeak as they pull up to the traffic light, and there are various other vehicle sounds.
So a persistent "Squeak, squeak, squeak" has been going on for a while now before I stopped to pay attention to it. I realized the sound wasn't out in the street, but very nearby, just below my window.
It's this little fellow - I took his picture through the blinds. Actually, it's a whole family, I think. Mama and Papa Mockingbird are raising a brood of chicks in the bushes under my window. They're imitating the squeaky buses as they ward off threats to their nest.
Before I knew it was a bird, the squeaking was annoying. Not, however, as annoying as other wildlife that's been under my window. I once had to call the police on a homeless couple having a complicated domestic relationship interaction in the bushes under my window.
I'll take the Mockingbirds any day!
7 comments:
Mockingbirds are wonderful! (Unless they are imitating car alarms at 2am, that is...)
I just saw a facebook status from an old friend who is vacationing in NYC with his family. They had an interesting walk through Central Park thanks to a couple of guys "sunbathing."
Again, I'll take the animal kingdom form of wildlife!
You know, I don't believe I've ever seen or heard a mockingbird. We surely have them here in Colorado, better keep on the lookout. Must be funny to hear them imitate bus brakes!
Cute!
Also reminds me of a movie.
~
I "had" one that imitated the twittering of my alarm clock.
I love those jaunty little scamps. The catbirds are closely related, and we have a bunch of them at my workplace.
Ha ha! We have a mockingbird that does a car alarm here in our neighborhood. I love them...they're suck plucky little birds.
Very pretty. I haven't seen one in a while.
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