Mockingbird Defending Territory
We had noticed the remarkably aggressive behavior of our backyard mockingbirds when they detected an interloper that they felt was too close to their nest. Even the sight of our cat inside the house was enough to bring them to the window where they would chirp angrily until he left. Recently while walking Dusty I saw this mockingbird attacking a young hawk atop a light pole. I don’t know where the nest was. But I had enough time to walk Dusty back home, get my camera, and return to the scene to catch this picture (and others).
As for our own family of mockingbirds, we counted three young birds. Two are visible on the edge of the nest below. The third one was smaller and weaker, and it died within hours of the birds coming down from the nest. We have good reason to believe that at least one, if not both, of the other two made it.
