To Maim a Mockingbird

Garden hose?

It's probably nesting season and maybe nothing will work. They get territorial and agressive, too.

Find the nest and take it down.

Roger, he's all over the neighborhood, I don't have a hose long enough.

Edgar - I couldn't! But, I betcha that's the only sure-fire way to make the guy shut it.

One year they were taking over the property. After I took away their nests they moved off. Some blue jays started taking their place at first, but then went away on their own.

More power to you. I just couldn't move the nest on them. First of all, I don't know where to look for it. Secondly, if there were eggs, I couldn't dislodge them. I'm too soft.

Well, I kept delaying moving them until the babies left the nest. I have empathy that way.

Of course you do.... You'd think I'd have a better sense of where they've nested. There aren't that many trees here - it IS a city after all. But, to be honest, I don't even know what types of nesting areas they prefer.

You are outa luck dearie. I have a mockingbord who owns this place. Sometimes , when he first lets us know that its nesting season he will sit on top of one of the chimneys and start making his goddam cheeps down the chimney all nightThe only way to keep the noise down is to shut the dampers. Once when he was up there carrying on one night I started a fire and he just moved and started attacking and pecking his reflection in the window nearest the fireplace. Hes nuts I tell you.
The ones we have even attack our cats who are completely intimidated. The only one they dont **** with is the border collie cai=use she almost caught one like a frizbee once. The dog even had some feathers in its mouth and the mockingbirds give Stasha(the female border collie) a wide berth.

I had a mockingbird attacking me every time I went in the back yard. One day I wadded up a white plastic bag and held it behind me. As I came outside, the bird got right in my face. I thrust the bag at it at the same instant, allowing the plastic to blossom like a white explosion. That bird was terrified. It never messed with anyone at my place again.

Growing up, I remember watching a mockingbird, year after year, outside the window of our breakfast room as we ate breakfast. He would see his reflection in the chrome bumper of one of our cars parked in the driveway and go crazy, thinking it was another male mockingbird. He would flap his wings, jump up and down, and threaten the reflection using every bit of bird language (and bird profanity) he knew. He would even fly up and peck the bumper or throw himself at it, stunning himself and landing in a heap of feathers on the driveway. Then he'd stumble to his feet, shake himself off, and start all over again. We literally choked ourselves laughing.

<sigh> Our trees are 30-50 feet tall. He stays up on top. I can't get at him to scare him. Maybe I should just invest in a side table drawer full of ear plugs.

them mockingbirds can be ornery, too.
i've seen them fearlessly go after larger birds...

Re nests.
I was under the impression that mockingbirds laid eggs in other birds nests.

What do mockingbirds eat?

I bet once he finds a wife he'll quiet down.

I get a kick out watching them chase the squirrels along the power lines.

He'll quiet down until the chicks have fledged and then he'll do it all over again (this summer when the windows are open all night).

Could you tempt him to sing something more melodic? offer a musical alternative for him to copy?

I don't think it works that way. I think he'd just add it to his repertoire.

I think you might be onto something. Maybe littlek should get him a nice, shiny mirror and let him knock himself out - so to speak.

I saw a cardinal doing that today! I was at a stoplight and a flash of red caught my eye. I looked over to see a cardinal menacing the side mirror of a parked car. He was really giving it whatfor.

(Love your title littlek.)