Zackiedawg
Well-known member
I often have birds nesting around my property - regular annual nests of blue jays and northern cardinals in my backyard. Every once in a while, a mockingbird nest will set up somewhere in my front yard, usually along the sidewalk trees about 40-50 feet from the house. I've seen the mockingbirds swoop down on heads of passerby on the sidewalk, and harass the occasional cat that strolls by. This time, the mockingbirds decided to nest in the hedge right near my front door. While not too much of a problem for me, since I usually leave my house via the garage door in my car...it has been a humorous problem for guests, deliverymen, neighborhood squirrels, and my (INDOOR) cat. The mockingbirds are awfully aggressive when nesting and do not fear things larger then they. They've knotted up the hair of a girlfriend of mine, attacked the UPS deliveryman a few days ago, and the squirrels seem to get the worst of it - since I've long been feeding the squirrels in my front yard in the garden beside the front door - they're very accustomed to arriving to feast on peanuts - but now that's become a terrifying ordeal for them, as the mockingbird sets upon them almost immediately. The squirrels have tried to ignore the bird and make it to the peanuts, or occasionally lash out at the mockingbird, but the bird is so persistent in its attack, and so relentless, that the squirrels end up running away - and the mockingbird keeps up its attack for a good 50-100 feet, chasing the squirrels clear across the street.
Even my indoor cat, which does not ever go outside, loves to sit on the windowsill and click and hiss and paw at the birds and squirrels in the garden outside - the mockingbird will even attack the window because it can see the cat on the other side of the glass. It riles up my cat who wants to get at it, but also sometimes startles her because she'll be watching a squirrel below and suddenly a big grey thing thumps on the window above her and she jumps halfway out of her skin.
It's a fun show...but for the sake of my guests and relatives, I hope the mockingbird moves the nest back out to the sidewalk next time - it should be less stressful for the people and squirrels who visit, and to the mockingbird who won't have to so vigorously defend the nesting grounds! Just a few more weeks hopefully - the eggs should be hatching this week and another couple weeks until the chicks are ready to leave.
Even my indoor cat, which does not ever go outside, loves to sit on the windowsill and click and hiss and paw at the birds and squirrels in the garden outside - the mockingbird will even attack the window because it can see the cat on the other side of the glass. It riles up my cat who wants to get at it, but also sometimes startles her because she'll be watching a squirrel below and suddenly a big grey thing thumps on the window above her and she jumps halfway out of her skin.
It's a fun show...but for the sake of my guests and relatives, I hope the mockingbird moves the nest back out to the sidewalk next time - it should be less stressful for the people and squirrels who visit, and to the mockingbird who won't have to so vigorously defend the nesting grounds! Just a few more weeks hopefully - the eggs should be hatching this week and another couple weeks until the chicks are ready to leave.
