I have a mockingbird living in the tree right outside my bedroom window

[minor7flat5]

The Wikipedia article on the bird says that they often have over fifty songs in their repertoire. This one does, and he sings every single one for me, starting every night at midnight.

This has been going on for a week.

I hope he finds a girlfriend soon.

[cmyk]

Just, whatever you do, don't mock him. It annoys him, and kills the mood.

[Dallas Jones]

The book, "To Kill a Mockingbird", is not a how-to manual. I read the whole damn thing and couldn't find the instructions anywhere.

Just so you know.

[ratatoskK]

You are so lucky. We used to have one and I loved how it sang in the summer nights.

[Zsofia]

My sympathies. You'd think listening to them that they're eagle sized, wouldn't you?

[romansperson]

They don't stop singing when they find a mate. It actually gets worse after that point, because then they've got territory and babies to defend. I'd say you've got about another three weeks or so until the babies are grown. And then they'll start another brood. Hopefully somewhere else.

[campp]

They can make some racket. However, their repetoir is so large and jazzy, we call them Ella Fitzgerald birds.

[Jackmannii]

Ha, earlier this week a crow flew practically right over my head carrying a snake in its bill, and landed on a nearby tree branch to enjoy its meal.

Nature is grand.

[Shark]

I had one living in some trees in our back yard last year that had learned to mimic the chirp sound of a car alarm being activated.

[John DiFool]

I had a chuck-will's-widow doing that once. Kept me up all night.

Learned what he was, changed my perspective, and the next year when he did it again, I simply let him serenade me to sleep.

[Voyager]

So, what else is Daddy going to buy you?

[wei ji]

Back in the 1980's, when I first visited my sister in the Silicon Valley area of California, there was a mocking bird in the neighborhood. He would fly from perch to perch at night and sing his long and complex song.

Coming from Alaska, I had to ask my sister, "What the hell is THAT?" (We have the Varied Thrush, whose spring song is eerie and rare.)

It was warm at night so we kept the upstairs windows of the guest room open, and at first I enjoyed the long hours of singing as an exotic treat. After a few days, I closed the windows and sweltered.

In the movie, HEAT, there is a scene where career criminal, Neil (Robert DeNiro), is trying to talk commercial artist, Eadie (Amy Brennerman), into going with him into retirement in New Zealand, the two of them alone in an empty highway pull-over at night. In the background, you can hear a mockingbird singing. I've always wondered if that was inserted by the director, Michael Mann, or just a happenstance that he kept in the film.

Yes, I like Mockingbirds too, but there is with them too much of a good thing.

[aruvqan]

try having half a dozen guinea fowls living in the bushes outside the bedroom window.

[Quasimodem]

Try Crows. Yes, that was plural. Every goddam morning they roost on our neighbor's tree (right outside my bedroom window) and start their (screeching? Does that work for y'all) screeching.

A very rude alarm clock!

Q

[secretsmile36]

ever read To Kill a Mockingbird?

[romansperson]

Originally Posted by aruvqan

try having half a dozen guinea fowls living in the bushes outside the bedroom window.

I have. It did not suit.

[vivalostwages]

I've got a nest of baby sparrows inside my Christmas light ball hanging from my front porch. Fortunately, they don't sing.

[Tangent]

A mockingbird once took up residence outside my parents' bedroom window and learned to mimic the distinctive ringtone of their phone. For awhile, we thought we were getting a LOT of hang-up phone calls.

[Gleena]

Lorikeets. (Rosellas - are these the same bird? Green/red/blue/yellow squabbling parrot things.)

Or Cockatoos.

Sometimes both at once.

I used to love parrots.

[living_in_hell]

Originally Posted by Dallas Jones

The book, "To Kill a Mockingbird", is not a how-to manual. I read the whole damn thing and couldn't find the instructions anywhere.

Just so you know.

Sinner!!!

[astro]

Well now -

[Askance]

Have you tried a cocktail of apple cider, tequila, cassis and lime juice ?

Originally Posted by Gleena

Lorikeets. (Rosellas - are these the same bird? Green/red/blue/yellow squabbling parrot things.)

Or Cockatoos.

Sometimes both at once.

Rainbow Lorikeets = Rosellas . And I'll just add we get both those, long- and short-billed corellas, currawongs, crows, magpies, kookaburras, eastern yellow robins and several types of native pigeons. It's a rare morning we're not woken by something in the tree outside. Fortunately the koels seem to have moved out of the area, given that they started up at 4am.

[Gleena]

Thanks Askance. We get some of those other things, and now you have given the "Shut the fuck up, Damnit" bird a name, so thanks. (Koels)

[vivalostwages]

Here are the sparrows nesting in my Christmas light ball:

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...S/sparrows.jpg

They are bigger now, almost too big for the space they're in, and very vocal when mom or pop comes around.

[Zebra]

I have a mocking bird out my window. He mimics the horrible noise the subway makes.

I want to go on the roof with a rifle and KILL IT!

[John DiFool]

Play a soothing instrument and melody to him, and he'll be echoing it back at you soon enough.

[minor7flat5]

Well, I suppose there is something positive to say about shifting from sweaty hot 93F and sun last Thursday to 45F drizzly rain yesterday—my mockingbird didn't sing last night!

He'll be back, I'm certain.

[astorian]

Originally Posted by romansperson

They don't stop singing when they find a mate. It actually gets worse after that point, because then they've got territory and babies to defend. I'd say you've got about another three weeks or so until the babies are grown. And then they'll start another brood. Hopefully somewhere else.

I've never found them to be LOUDER after having babies, but they definitely get more aggressive. They'll dive bomb any person, dog or cat who walks close to their tree.

[LeeshaJoy]

Originally Posted by Voyager

So, what else is Daddy going to buy you?

Nothing. Daddy only promised to buy more stuff if that mockingbird don't sing.

[smee goan]

Had a mynah bird who would mimic the sound of a flushing toilet.

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

Originally Posted by LeeshaJoy

Nothing. Daddy only promised to buy more stuff if that mockingbird don't sing.

I guess that the hidden joke of the song- daddy doesn't have to worry about buying the other things- no way that bird don't sing!

[Lionne]

Originally Posted by vivalostwages

Here are the sparrows nesting in my Christmas light ball:

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...S/sparrows.jpg

Awww, ugly little pinfeathered babies!

[JohnGalt]

Sounds like when we were at a beautiful campsite at the Boy Scout camp in southern South Dakota along the Missouri River. Sun sets, bugs come out (swat!), sit around the campfire and finally go to sleep when the stars come out.

About five minutes later a damn whip-poor-will started in, and kept it up until first light. You can hear it at All About Birds-Whippoorwill. Every night, for a week.

The next time we stayed there, we got a campsite far away from that damn bird.