My OperaCatbirds
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 4:49:41 PM
The editor has noticed a pair of catbirds around the back yard for a couple of months now, especially on Fridays when he's out there cooking hamburgers. He has known them since childhood. In a small town in Illinois they were ubiquitous, as were these ads:
They were bigger than house sparrows and kept less distance between them and small boys. After a while, the neighbor's cat McGee stopped eating the catbirds we brought. Too much of a good thing, perhaps.
He doesn't recall seeing catbirds often in these parts until the last few years. Mockingbirds, to which catbirds are related along with bluebirds and other thrushes, have always been here.
As he was firing up the charcoal last Friday, the semi-friendly feral cat (yellow arrow) was hanging around the fence and the catbirds were giving him hell. A bit unusual;
Catbirds don't have quite the variety of song as mockingbirds, but they can surprise you.
In this case the pair was making unmusical noises at the cat. The editor really cant describe it, but probably couldn't in a family oriented blog anyway.
Finally, the editor confirmed his suspicions. There was a fledgling out of the nest in the alley.
The editor watched for half an hour and didn't see the cat go over the fence for the young bird. He has seen an occasional catbird since, but not yet an immature one. We shall see.
They were bigger than house sparrows and kept less distance between them and small boys. After a while, the neighbor's cat McGee stopped eating the catbirds we brought. Too much of a good thing, perhaps.
He doesn't recall seeing catbirds often in these parts until the last few years. Mockingbirds, to which catbirds are related along with bluebirds and other thrushes, have always been here.
As he was firing up the charcoal last Friday, the semi-friendly feral cat (yellow arrow) was hanging around the fence and the catbirds were giving him hell. A bit unusual;
Catbirds don't have quite the variety of song as mockingbirds, but they can surprise you.
In this case the pair was making unmusical noises at the cat. The editor really cant describe it, but probably couldn't in a family oriented blog anyway.
Finally, the editor confirmed his suspicions. There was a fledgling out of the nest in the alley.
The editor watched for half an hour and didn't see the cat go over the fence for the young bird. He has seen an occasional catbird since, but not yet an immature one. We shall see.
