jmcquown <
j_mc...@comcast.net> wrote:
>On 2/19/2013 7:30 AM, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
>> I'm in NY near Schenectady. My neighbor and I share an acre or so
>> 'clearing' in a deciduous forest of 50-100 acres with several 10-15
>> acre lawn/parkinglot businesses nearby. So there is a variety of
>> habitat available.
>>
>> Last spring this little fellow showed up with the most obnoxious and
>> persistent call. It took me a while to place it but it was a lot
>> like the Blue Jay's 3-4 note rusty hinge call. But the bird just
>> never stops. [or I don't notice him unless he's 'singing-- and then
>> he goes on and on for 30 minutes before he flies away] Usually an
>> early morning bird-- but I've heard him in the afternoon, too.
>>
-snip-
>>
>Could this be a mockingbird? Sometimes called 'catbirds' by people
>north of the south. <G> They are often hard to spot but they break out
>into song in the wee hours of the morning.
I don't think so- if I'm seeing the right bird he is too small. And he
is more shy than any mockingbirds I *have* seen.
So far I haven't noticed the calls before 5am-- but I'm not a light
sleeper by any stretch.
>
>Many years ago when I lived in TN I had a friend visiting from NY. One
>night we stayed out until the wee hours. As we were getting home a
>mockingbird started singing. She said, "What kind of bird sings at
>3AM?!" LOL
>
>And yes, they do add to their vocal repertoire. I love to hear them.
>If you can whistle, sometimes when you hear one you can get it to give
>you a call back :)
I was walking along a path one day and stopped to talk to a guy with a
huge lens on his camera. While we were talking his phone rang and
we went in different directions. About 5 minutes later I heard that
ring tone behind me and turned to see he was *way* too far away. then
I heard it again. . . and again. . . and finally spotted the
mockingbird. He nailed that ring perfectly. The guy with the big
lens was a regular on that part of the trail, so maybe the bird had
been working on it a while-- but he was perfect.
Jim