Recently, we have been awoken in the mornings by the ever-changing calls of a Northern Mockingbird. Often he can be heard calling from the shrubs across the street or atop the large dead tree directly across from our terrace. One of his favored perches, and the one I favor because of how well I can photograph him, is a small tree that is just below the east side of our terrace. On several occasions this past Sunday he sat and sang from the small tree, giving me ample opportunities to photograph him.
Another of the more vocal birds in the area is a Carolina Wren. Given his small stature, it is amazing how loud his tea-kettle calls can be. The only time I have actually seen the wren he was bounding about on the upper branches of the large, dead tree across the street.
Several male Northern Cardinals live in the area. Throughout the day one can hear them call from the precipice of local trees - most often their cheer call. I have seen some of the female Cardinals, but they are not as vocal as the males.
In the evenings, a large group of Common Grackle will roost in a pair of trees on the next block. We are able to see the group roosting from the terrace; the trees they roost in are quite tall. I am not sure if they are just hanging around the area for a while, soon to be heading further north, or if they will be a summer fixture in the neighborhood.
.....and of course the infamous House Sparrows, European Starlings, and Rock Pigeons. I am not exactly ecstatic to hear their calls.
-SPQ 3/31/2010
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