Spring is Sprung – March 5, 2013
It’s spring. I’m convinced, and these two mockingbirds are my proof. Love is in the air.
I’ve learned a lot about the mockingbirds, which are by the way, the state bird of Texas. They are also among my favorite. These birds are amazing. The oldest on record was 14 years and 10 months. What’s intriguing is that they continue to add new sounds to their repertoires throughout their lives. A male can learn around 200 songs in a lifetime. 
I haven’t even mastered that (but remember, I’m a listening bird). Mockingbirds typically sing from February to August and then again from September to early November. Even more amazing the males can have two distinct repertoires of songs–one for spring, and one for fall.
I like, too, the fact that the male builds the twig foundation of the nest, and the female lines it. Of course, the male has to build three or four nests in different locations before the female finally decides which one she likes and will line. There’s just something right about that.
New subject, old topic. I have the visual answer to the burning questions of January 29: why do birds all face the same direction? The answer is they face into the wind to keep their feathers from getting ruffled. 
Here you go – visual proof that the answer is blowing in the wind. This is the same bird before and after.
