With all the recent talk—and even some photos—of the northern mockingbird parents in the tree outside my patio, I wanted to share something far less depressing than has been the story of their offspring. Too many losses, I say, and too many tears.
So let us then turn our attention to the more entertaining side of mockingbirds.
You know Larenti visits often. She now spends a great deal of time on my patio.
Surprisingly, I’ve discovered al-Zill also finds the veranda a great place to rest and relax, not to mention to grab a bite to eat.
A few days ago when I stepped outside, I found this most recent feline discovery enjoying a midday meal as Larenti lounged in the intermittent sunshine that dappled the concrete floor each time the clouds broke.
I snapped a few photos of the pair (to be shown later). As I stood there, however, someone else came into the picture.
It was one of the mockingbird parents.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s not surprising to have one or both birds launch an assault on any feline visitor. For that matter, they yell at me and threaten me with their aerial acrobatics, so a cat certainly should expect a challenge.
The moment the bird instigated the encounter with al-Zill, the cat stepped away from the food, walked to a position near the fence, and lay down in such an uncaring manner as to insult the winged parent with complete disregard.
That’s when I switched the camera to video mode, aimed, and began shooting.
Keep in mind I was on the opposite side of the patio and didn’t have enough time to really zoom in. I didn’t want to miss any of the verbal abuse being heralded at the felines—especially al-Zill.
Nevertheless, you can see how brave the mockingbirds are. Remember they hit me in the head several times while making runs at Vazra before I rescued him, and he was sitting on the fence when that happened. A cat on the ground is a safer bet when you keep your distance and throw nothing more damaging than avian insults.
Oh, and the cats weren’t one bit impressed.
