I have developed a strange… even for me… habit. Every morning, there are mocking birds in the backyard. They all seem to be engaging in a contest to see who has the best whistles and sounds. Now, for those of you who do not have these fascinating birds where you live…
… let me tell you about them. They, like most birds, use sound to communicate. They carry it a little farther than most birds, because, like a few species, they can mimic sounds, and this is where they get their name. No, they can’t actually mimic human voices like some birds, but they can imitate hawk calls and even car alarms.
Well, every morning, there they are, trying to outdo one another, and one day, I thought it would be fun to join in. Now, I do it every day. I whistle parts of classical music and operas, or TV theme songs, or bits of rock music. I am still waiting for the day when one of them copies me.
The thing is… and I feel bad about this thing… but I might have a propensity for mockery. I did that post earlier this week where my daughter and I were mocking cacti in the Arizona desert. But I don’t view my morning ritual as mockery… because mocking a mocking bird would, indeed, be making a mockery of mockery. I like to think of it as adding to their repertoire.
Pouring My Art Out 
My dad used to do the same thing. His patience paid off. He actually was able to hear a mockingbird regurgitate his chirps and whistles once or twice. He had a lot of time on his hands when he retired. LOL. Thanks for the cool memory of my father.
I am honored
Ha! Too funny – singing with the mocking birds. Belinda (Idiotwriter) has two birds – Sunshine and Lunar – and when she plays the guitar,they chirp along – after a while. https://idiotwriting.wordpress.com/2015/07/18/cha-jing-al-ing/
I am training wild birds… this is something else all together…
What makes them wild? – Do they swagger down the street knocking down song birds?; do they refuse to do what they are asked?; do they flaunt authority?; do they hang around bars too late at night?; Are they dive bombing little old ladies?
for one thing, I have no way of knowing if it is the same birds every morning…