Sidebar

Mockingbird vs Squirrel

Log in

Forgot your password?

SmokingPipes.com Updates

Watch for Updates Twice a Week

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Site Sponsors

Al Pascia
Blue Room Briars
Cigar World
Danish Pipe Shop
LePipe.it
Missouri Meerschaum
Pipes2Smoke.com
PipeStud.com
Seattle Pipe Club Tobaccos
SmokingPipes.com
Tabaccheria Corti
TinBids.com

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Status
Not open for further replies.
zanthal

zanthal

Lifer
Dec 3, 2011
1,835
1
Pleasanton, CA
This might seem like it's out of left field, and it pretty much is.
what is it with mockingbirds and squirrels?
nearly every morning I'm outside having a pipe, there is a mockingbird trying like hell to annoy, pester, and peck squirrels in a tree in my neighbors yard. It'll target one of them, and chase it all over the yard wherever it goes with dive bomb attacks.
I can't help but think the planets are out of alignment or something when I see it. It doesn't make any sense, they're not even in the same food chain, and even if they were, the mockingbird wouldn't be trying to heckle the squirrel, it would just eat it.
This is just an image I pulled off Google, but it pretty well illustrates it:
atwBx.jpg


 
bigmike

bigmike

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 24, 2012
518
4
In my area, it't young mockingbird season and there are lots of young birds around.
The mockingbirds around here attack anything, casts, dogs, squirrels, crows, etc. As Baron stated, they are very protective of their area and even more so with young birds in or just out of the nest.
Probably makes for a very interested show in the mornings though............

 
zanthal

zanthal

Lifer
Dec 3, 2011
1,835
1
Pleasanton, CA
It is fairly entertaining, except those little squabbles can be a bit skull piercing at times.
it's been a very mild and lovely spring this year regardless.

 
pstlpkr

pstlpkr

Lifer
Dec 14, 2009
9,694
31
Birmingham, AL
That reminds me of something I witnessed back when I was in high school.

Tabatha (my neighbor's old tabby cat) was lying the sun in the neighbor's yard.

The wire over head had a mocking bird fussing at the cat.

It swooped down several times... Tabatha didn't move.

The bird (after several swoops)got up the nerve to peck the cat on the head... Tabatha didn't move.

A couple of more swoops and taps on the skull... Tabatha didn't move...

One more swoop... Tabatha flipped over lock on to the bird with all four feet... body slammed the bird.

And, had lunch....

:D

 
photoman13

photoman13

Lifer
Mar 30, 2012
2,825
2
I still can't get over that darn gif of you smoking a pipe lol. But yes, Mockingbirds are crazy.

 
lankfordjl

lankfordjl

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 29, 2011
611
2
Texas
Soapbox moment: In my opinion squirrels are "tree rats"; they are quit a nuisance. In one day, they can strip an apple tree bare! And I hate to think of the sad state they leave our pecan trees. At least after being pressure cooked, squirrels make tasty dumplings. :wink:

 
portascat

portascat

Lifer
Jan 24, 2011
1,057
3
Happy Hunting Grounds
Well, around here Mockingbirds are kind of like the dive bombers in Tora, Tora, Tora.
And my cat takes it like the Pacific fleet for a little while, but pretty soon they are just Kamikaze birds.

 
zanthal

zanthal

Lifer
Dec 3, 2011
1,835
1
Pleasanton, CA
Good, I'm still crazy then. :puffy:
And what is it with cats that catch birds and mice, laying it around showing it off to people after they've caught it?
But I digress, that does make sense, cats like to play with their food.
Saw a very picturesque sunset tonight. wispy clouds of white surrounded by blues and yellows, one cloud on the edge displaying rainbow color spectrum, all while a passenger jet crossed directly over it.
If only I had my camera, or was an artist.

 
barkar

barkar

Lifer
Apr 17, 2012
1,104
1
Thanks for the pic's. I had never seen a mocking bird before. Grackles will do the same thing.

 
scurvydog

scurvydog

Starting to Get Obsessed
May 23, 2012
229
1
On the flip side I have large amount of predatory birds in my neck of the woods. Lots of ospreys, red tailed hawks and Eagles. I have witnessed an eagle swoop down and have its way with a cat walking in the open field behind my house (4th hole). The cat did not stand a chance.

 
zanthal

zanthal

Lifer
Dec 3, 2011
1,835
1
Pleasanton, CA
Wow, yeah birds of prey don't strike often in full view that must have been a sight!
The ones we have in my area (that I've actually seen quite often lately on lamp posts scouting for chow) are falcons.
Oz5yy.jpg

Little guys but they get the job done.

 
waznyf

waznyf

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 24, 2012
742
48
29
Texas
That is very interesting. Not too many squirrels out on the farm, so I have never really noticed.

Very interesting and it seems as if mockingbirds are the ass holes of the animal kingdom.

 
mluyckx

mluyckx

Lifer
Dec 5, 2011
1,958
3
Texas
+1 maduroman
Squirrels, raccoons, possums, rats,.. all love bird eggs. And so do many other birds (Bluejays quite common here in Texas) and that's why Mockingbirds will fiercely defend their territory... oh yeah. and they're a-holes to boot ;-)

 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom