Featured Image - Spring 2000

Northern Mockingbird 

A common bird present year-round in Oklahoma is the Northern Mockingbird. Known for its large repertoire of songs, it often imitates the songs of other nearby birds, repeating them over and again.  A pair nested on the back of our property early this spring. I watched from a distance as they performed their mating display. They "danced," facing each other with heads and tails held high. Another male suitor had tried in vain to woo her, but she seemed to be committed to her dancing partner. The jilted suitor, now an unmated male, would sing until darkness high in a tree within sight of the mated pair.  I hope he eventually found a  mate. Once the nest was built, both birds aggressively defended it against any and all who dared come near it. 

Mockingbirds' diet consists mostly of fruit and insects, but they will occasionally eat crayfish and small vertebrates.  They are a habitat generalist, ranging from open range to city suburbs. As common as these birds are, until recently, I had been unsuccessful at getting any good images of them. While on a three day business trip to Georgia, I was able to get in a few hours of shooting each evening. A co-worker and I had rented a van, and he drove while I photographed from a makeshift (unstable!) tripod-rig in the back seat.    

We cruised the back roads mainly, and we saw a lot of birds. Most were too shy to hold, but not this mockingbird. He was on the ground at the edge of a field as we drove near. As we slowed, he hopped up into what I am sure was his nest tree. We stopped and he glared at us, and began hawking down at us a long series of varied songs. I think he was telling us to scram. I snapped a few frames, but he would not look away. Finally, he turned his head, and I got this image just before he swarmed down at the van. You can almost feel the anger in his eye.  I guess we had gotten too close to his nest, although I never did see the nest itself or a mate.  The event was one I won't soon forget.  Getting this image made it worth the effort of lugging my heavy, 600mm lens through the airports! 

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