How has it been three months since I last posted? Unfortunately, I haven’t been doing much birdwatching. (I blame this partly on the longer than normal editing processes that the fifth Emma Finch novel took. It’s now available on Amazon though!)
I thought a fun bird to write about for October would be the mockingbird. It might seem a bit odd to pick the mockingbird for October, but I think it’s fitting considering the upcoming Halloween celebrations. While mockingbirds don’t dress up like other birds, they still pretend to be them through their abilities to mimic various songs and sounds.
While mockingbirds don’t pretend to be goblins or ghouls, they can pull off impersonating a wide range of birds, especially those native to their area. Their mimicry can make it difficult for birdwatchers surrounded by heavy mockingbird populations to feel confident about what birds may be nearby. Personally, I always find myself doubting if I am listening to the territory calls of blue jays or mockingbirds.
I’ve read that other birds mockingbirds enjoy mocking are the cardinal and the tufted titmouse, but I haven’t caught my local birds doing these calls yet. What about you? What songs do the mockingbirds near you like to sing?
