Friday, January 27, 2012

Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos

My friend Doug and I visited the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island.  A very common bird gave me some great photographs.  The bird was a Northern Mockingbird.  We encountered two-Orion  ROT_4734 January 26, 2012 NIKON D3S different mockingbirds, hopeful, which were not shy and allowed me the chance to obtain a number of different photographs.  Usually, as you approach near mockingbirds, they will fly away.  These two individuals were very accommodating in allowing closer approaches without getting into the their danger zone.  In fact, one was in a tree right next to a boardwalk and I passed within 2 feet of it with out it flying away.

-Orion  DOT_4362 February 10, 2011 NIKON D3S
(not Parker River)

-Orion  Red-tailed Hawk and Mockingbird May 11, 2010 NIKON D300
(not Parker River)
The Northern Mockingbird has been known in the past as a southern bird, but now has established its range throughout the entire United States.  It is known for its large repertory of songs in fact, some birds can have a repertory up to 200 songs in its lifetime.  It will sing throughout the day and even into the night, usually repeating the same song about 3 times before changing to another one.  Mockingbirds are a medium-size songbird that I usually gray-Brown in color and is paler on the breast and belly, with two notable white wing bars on each wing.  When it flies the white patches become large white flashes and help in identification. Mockingbirds are regressive and Wilkes chase off intruders into their territory and even attack Hawks. During the warmer months, they usually eat insects, but in the colder months will eat fruit and berries.-Orion  MockingbirdROT_4822 January 26, 2012 NIKON D3S-Orion  ROT_4827-Edit January 26, 2012 NIKON D3S-Orion  ROT_4831-Edit January 26, 2012 NIKON D3S
Northern Mockingbird

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