6o] 



The Delightful Hobby of Bird Watching 



egg is "planted" in the second nest, she builds a third on top of 

 that. Warblers have been known to build up to five nests in 

 this way! 



MOCKINGBIRDS DON'T ALWAYS MOCK 



The name of this justly famous songbird is misleading in a 

 way. Individual birds may "mock" the notes of other birds and 

 even the bark of a dog or the meow of a cat; but occasionally the 

 birds stick to their own notes. Aside from its imitations, the 

 mockingbird has a lovely liquid song that deserves appreciative 

 recognition in its own right. Mockingbirds not only have song 

 fests by day; they are most eloquent on moonlit nights. 



While the mockingbird is primarily a southerner, some birds 

 venture to feeding stations as far north as New England. The 

 mockingbird has an over-all grayish tone and in flight shows 

 flashes of black and white in its wings. The mockingbird is about 

 the size of a robin, though not so plump, and it has a long tail. 



THE MOCKINGBIRD-EXPERT AT MIMICRY 



Though moonlit nights inspire the mockingbird to a hauntingly beautiful song 

 with exquisite variations, it has a great gift for sardonic mimicry of other birds. 

 Its lifelike imitation of a hawk's shriek is as convincing as "the real thing/' 



