What is Taking place to My Mockingbirds?

While barbequing ribs over the weekend, I all of the sudden realized that there was no musical accompaniment by any of the local mockingbirds that often serenade me in the morning. In truth I have only seen one of these melody thieves this 12 months. What's occurring?
A call to the native farm extension company proved futile. Folks had known as them about an absence of Mockingbird music, however the county agent did not know why the birds had been gone. Maybe they weren't wherever else, but in my space in the south, there were few morning musicals being staged each day.
To this point, I have solely seen one Mockingbird this yr and it was skinny. I surmised that he must have been from out of town for his songs didn't appear acquainted to me. He additionally appeared to have a restricted repertoire, for he repeated the same calls for over an hour as he flew from tree to tree in my back yard. In addition, to my untrained ear, all of his songs sounded sad.
Whereas it is commonplace for there to be repetition in a Mockingbird's music, it isn't frequent for there to be just a few tunes in its program. At a minimum, usually there would be several different songs.
Up up to now I had assumed that this was a male chicken, but after careful examine, I decided this was a female. Sadly there did not seem to be a male version anyplace nearby, but she kept mournfully singing her songs, hoping to attract one.
Score her efficiency like you would a determine skater, I must say that technically she was very good, posting a 5.966. For inventive interpretation though, she solely received a four.978. With an overall score of solely 5.472, she wouldn't have made it to the medal rounds.
Over the next few days I appeared all through the neighborhood and did not see a single Mockingbird, besides the one in my yard. Last yr there have been several males, every occupying a section of my wooded yard, able to defend their nests should an intruder emerge.
Their nests are by no means far from the ground and the female lays four to six bluish green eggs that are speckled with brown spots. We have loads of bushes and small bushes round our house. Areas wherein there have been nests last year are empty now.
It's a little late for nesting Mockingbirds, so I'm wondering if this melancholy female made a nest this yr. I miss seeing these birds, each female and male, diving at an unfortunate cat, dog, coyote or raccoon which have wandered too near their territories. These birds will even swoop down on humans which can be about to trespass close to their nest.
Mockingbirds are about eight to 10 inches in size. They've a protracted tail in comparison to its body and are a lightweight gray shade with their undersides an off-white. Its tail and wings are darker grey with white spots.
It is not uncommon to see one of these songbirds walking by way of a garden, increasing its wings upward each few steps. Nobody really is aware of why they do this, however it's argued among specialists that the bird is attempting to startle insects and worms that are hiding in the grass. If the bugs are transferring, then it's a lot simpler to locate and eat them for breakfast.
Mockingbirds, when they're close by are often ignored. When they are gone, they're missed.