Mockingbird vs owl

[Jane Rice]

When I parked at my local grocery store this afternoon (E.M. Heath in Center Harbor), I noted a northern mockingbird in a small conifer which is part of the ornamental planting around the adjacent restaurant, Osteria Poggio. Next to the restaurant is a new post and beam outdoor dining area, open on the gable ends and protected from the local house sparrows by a plastic owl on one of the beams. That poor Mockingbird was physically attacking the plastic owl, but despite taking a serious beating from the Mockingbird,  the owl stood its ground, or beam, while the poor Mockingbird must have been hurting,  especially if this has been an ongoing confrontation. No reaction from other birds while I was there, but answers a question that I have often wondered about, which is whether birds would recognize a plastic owl, or if it was just another useless piece of plastic that didn't work as advertised. I'm rooting for the Mockingbird,  especially since we don't often see them locally,  but the owl appears to have the upper hand. 

Jane Rice 

Moultonborough 

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone