Despite my inability to bird until the weekend, I have been lucky whenever I venture out of my office for coffee or just to get away for a few minutes to clear my head. I was headed to
Dunkin's for my Turbo this morning when suddenly I could hear the sweetest sounding bird with a call I was not familiar with. It went something like....Tooot....tooot...tooot....tooot...tweet... I scanned the shrubs for signs of the bird and to my amusement I found two newly fledged Northern Mockingbirds. They were hiding in the shrubbery so I crouched down to get a better look at them. The first thing I noticed besides the spotted breast was the shortness of the tail. I tried to get them out of the shrubbery for a couple of photos so did a little
pishing and sure enough one was interested enough to come out and see what was making that noise. The little bird looked at me, fluffed out its feathers and the result is the picture above!
The same bird who is now looking at its sibling.
Who was still in the shrubs calling for mom who was up in the tree and not at all disturbed I was taking pictures of her young. In fact, she flew off for a few minutes to find food on the pavement!
There was also a very recently fledged House Finch in the same area. I had seen a House Finch nest in the parking garage to our building and I found it very interesting that they built their nest there considering there were wire stakes put in certain spots to deter birds from nesting. It didn't stop this determined couple though as you can see from the photo above. The bird just sat in its spot for a few minutes calling for its parents who were in a tree above me calling back in return. I tried to get a little closer to him and off it flew away with its parents.
Who waited oh so patiently in the tree.
The best thing about the Mockingbird is that I keep a downtown Worcester bird list and believe it or not, this is my first time seeing a Northern Mockingbird at this location. Obviously they nested nearby, but I just wasn't in the right place at the right time I suppose. Another check on my ever growing list. Take care all
Despite my inability to bird until the weekend, I have been lucky whenever I venture out of my office for coffee or just to get away for a few minutes to clear my head. I was headed to Dunkin's for my Turbo this morning when suddenly I could hear the sweetest sounding bird with a call I was not familiar with. It went something like....Tooot....tooot...tooot....tooot...tweet... I scanned the shrubs for signs of the bird and to my amusement I found two newly fledged Northern Mockingbirds. They were hiding in the shrubbery so I crouched down to get a better look at them. The first thing I noticed besides the spotted breast was the shortness of the tail. I tried to get them out of the shrubbery for a couple of photos so did a little pishing and sure enough one was interested enough to come out and see what was making that noise. The little bird looked at me, fluffed out its feathers and the result is the picture above! 
The same bird who is now looking at its sibling.
Who was still in the shrubs calling for mom who was up in the tree and not at all disturbed I was taking pictures of her young. In fact, she flew off for a few minutes to find food on the pavement!
There was also a very recently fledged House Finch in the same area. I had seen a House Finch nest in the parking garage to our building and I found it very interesting that they built their nest there considering there were wire stakes put in certain spots to deter birds from nesting. It didn't stop this determined couple though as you can see from the photo above. The bird just sat in its spot for a few minutes calling for its parents who were in a tree above me calling back in return. I tried to get a little closer to him and off it flew away with its parents. 
Who waited oh so patiently in the tree.
The best thing about the Mockingbird is that I keep a downtown Worcester bird list and believe it or not, this is my first time seeing a Northern Mockingbird at this location. Obviously they nested nearby, but I just wasn't in the right place at the right time I suppose. Another check on my ever growing list. Take care all
30 comments:
About all that I have seen here are new starlings. I think there were some house finches too but none were brought in to the yard, and they just stayed out on the edges. Your shots are very nice.
That mocking bird is so cute and adorable!! Loved the shot of his face! You've become an expert pisher!!
It is amazing how unfazed the youngsters are of our presence and allows us close views But this will all change as they get older & wiser! Lovely pics Kim.
I love Mockingbirds and so much. They sing the longest, sweetest, and most varied songs. They do not live this far north so have to wait to see them while visiting family in Louisiana. Great shots, I love the little yellow baby beaks.
Great photos of the little mocker. He looks like he already has an attitude.
Kim..I think the house finch fledge may be a house sparrow fledge, but I can't get a good look from the photo. House Finches have a whitish beak in comparison to House Sparrows who have a bright yellow one. Maybe when you see it again, you can get a good look at the beak. It is so hard with fledges......I have really enjoyed following you in Google reader especially with the falcons...
You might want to visit this blog post as it shows some peregrine bandings in Chicago...
Celeste’s Peregrine Party
What a find!
Treasures in the city.
Cute, Kim... I have alot of 'babies' at my house now too. We have baby House Finches, baby Goldfinch, baby Chickadees, ---and of course my baby Blue's.
Love that young Mocker!!!! Cute.
Hugs,
Betsy
Thanks Michelle. When I first saw it by itself I thought it was a House Sparrow too but it was hanging out with the House Finches. Weird????
Hi Kim, boy, ya gotta what where you step these days!
Those baby Mockers are the CUTEST ittle fledglings I've ever seen!!
I am telling you all, I was beside myself when I saw them! I was going all over the place and crouching down in the shrubs to get some shots (very glad I didn't wear a skirt today HA). The call they made was music to my ears, so sweet and innocent.
Of course the people on the first floor to the building saw all of this but they are used to me and this type of behaviour if I see a bird. I even have one bringing Bins to work to check out the falcons on his breaks. ;o)
I missed the part where you said that the house finch were taking care of it...then it might be a cowbird. Let me look and see if house finch are victims of cowbirds.. Yes...house finch can be victims of cowbirds. I see them here with song sparrows. But they too look like a little brown sparrow...
Michelle From Rambling Woods
Michelle, I am looking in my Smithsonian Field Guide and the picture of the juvie Brown-headed Cowbird looks like a female House Finch (isn't it ironic) with no yellow in its bill. I would have never thought of the BH Cowbird. If that's true than it's another check on my downtown Worcester list. ;o)
Sorry about that. The link didn't work. Check out this photo. It is of a VERY recently fledged House Finch. Perhaps the bill stars turning a little whiter as it ages? Still not 100% sure but it makes total sense since the fledging was hanging out with the House Finches.
http://www.watching-grass-grow.com/house-finch/2008
_06_06_baby_finch.jpg
How cute those little ones are!!
That first picture is priceless. It's the kind of unusual thing that always catches my eye.
Great pics! I love Mockers! I had one visit the last 2 days (didn't see it today) but couldn't get a close pic. Hopefully it will be back!
Love the mockers and those babies are adorable. Glad you got to have a good look at them. I am just as bumfuzzled by fledglings as you are.....sigh.
Okay, I am not 100% confident it was indeed a recently fledged House Finch. Will keep my post as it is though just in case somebody does a Google search with a similar situation and needs info. I like it when others can learn from my misfortunes. ;o)
Not=Now! I should not post before coffee.
Kim,
That little bird sure did want to tell you something important. Great shots.
Those newly-fledged babies are so cute, when they flutter and tweet like that I want to go out and give them a bug, too! They must appeal to everybody's mothering instinct!
Kim,
Such an interesting post and wonderful photos..so much to think about here..
I will be anxious to hear what the answer to this birdee mystery will be!!
I was thinking Cowbird also. In any event, those photos are adorable!
I can hear the Titmouse babies in our nest box as of Wednesday.
Hey there all. Please see my comments. This is a Fledging House Finch for certain. My previous post said Not-100% positive but I changed it to Now-100% in the comment directly below that. At least this mystery is solved. I wonder what the next one will be. ;o)
Oh, those crazy mockingbirds. They are cute, but wow are they loud. We have three fledglings begging for food in our yard now.
I love a good mystery Kim...interesting about the yellow. Thanks for sticking with it..I love to get an answer...
Michelle From Rambling Woods
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