Photos by Marian Mendez, winner of Summer 2008 Beautiful Birds in Urban Places Challenge/Contest

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These two Eurasian Collared doves were in my tree for a long time- more than half an hour altogether. The one kept making noise and fluttering its wings until the other came over and put its beak into its beak. (Pity the picture wasn't sharper.) After about 15 minutes the raspberry footed one flew away, but the other remained in the tree for another 15 minutes or so, mainly just perching, but it did some preening. " 

 "This pair is very sweet together. Just at sunset."

 "This was sweet. While the female starling hunted for nesting material, the male kept watch for danger. She was very nimble at gathering."

The mockingbird who normally perches on the power line behind my house has expanded his no trespasser's list. At first it was only mockingbirds he buzzed off  but today he was very much infuriated by a male grackle sitting on his power line. He chased him to a higher line, and then chased him off that, and then away. (I say 'him' but of course, I can't tell with mockingbirds.)

I saw him with something in his beak- possibly a bug? He was hyper-alert, doing a complete 360 degree turn from a fence post with a clear vantage point of all of the neighbor's yard. Then he flew to a tall wire fence covered with dead vines. It was only on examining the photo later that I realized it was possible what I thought was a yellow blossom/leaf was a gaping baby mockingbird beak! Hard to tell. I shall try to watch that more closely.

What's interesting is that the mockingbird showed no aggression to a Eurasian collared dove who was on the power line only a few feet further down than the male grackle. He also showed no aggression (but did watch them closely) to the female grackles foraging in the grass, eating the fish, or drinking from the buckets- all of which activities brought them far closer to the nest (if that is a nest & not my imagination) than the male grackle was when he was sitting on the power line (and not even looking in that direction.)
 

Boat-tailed Grackle preening

"Northern mockingbird- it was chilly and windy today (well, for HERE, it was chilly) and a lot of the birds were fluffed up. This mockingbird very carefully preened feather by feather. "

"This one was preening at sunset. I've seen them do quite elaborate sunset preening several times. I suppose they're making sure their feathers are all properly arranged for maximum body heat retention for sleep."

"The one on the right was fluffed, bowing and cooing for all he was worth. She listened politely, let him sit next to her for a minute, and then flew off with him following."

"This female sparrow was fluttering her wings like crazy, trying to get his attention."

 "And here is the Story of the Sunset Masher.
'Hey, man, your wife is beautiful.'"

"'I just can't resist her.'"

"'Hey, honey, why don't you leave him?'"

"'No, no, a thousand times no! I'd rather die than say yes!'"

I did snap a few pictures a few days ago that might be of interest. In a little junk-filled 'alley' to the right/behind my house I saw a wounded male grackle. The right wing and leg were both damaged (I suspect by a cat). It was able to walk with great difficulty, but didn't move the wing at all. Another male grackle accompanied it, and for the 15-20 minutes that I observed them, the healthy one was either perched above looking around (as if watching for danger) or looking at the wounded one. At one point it flew down and seemed to be upset and trying to get the wounded one to fly. When the wounded one finally staggered off through a wooden fence  into a yard where I could no longer see it, the other one flew over the fence and disappeared into the yard with it. It was really very touching- and made more so by the fact that they were both males. I wonder if grackles recognize their siblings? It would be nice to think they were brothers, motivated by affection."

"Two male grackles being very funny- the palm branches were swaying in a fairly good breeze and the birds were jiggling and displaying. The top bird was gripping two different fronds at once, putting him in a splay-legged cheerleader pose. They only stayed for a minute or two because a mockingbird (presumably one of the resident nesters) chased them off. I don't know how it did it, but it swooped over the tree, turned 180 degrees in mid-air, and I swear it hovered for a full second before diving at them. I didn't think anything but hummingbirds could hover-- I guess this mockingbird was clever enough to use the wind. Pity I didn't get a picture."

"I believe this is a quite young northern mockingbird. It kept half spreading its wings as a baby bird does when it begs, also the corners of its beak were yellowish, I noticed when it opened its mouth. It's on a lantana bush- not sure whether it was looking for bugs or berries."

"I was working in the yard & saw quite a bit of the mockingbirds in particular. It's definitely a nest. It's quite a deep nest judging by how far the bird coming to feed has to reach down, so I've not seen any more hints of baby, but I did see one of the birds inside the nest. On several occasions one bird would arrive with a bug and make a much softer and quieter 'bzzzz' than the chase buzz and wait several minutes before going in to feed the babies. On one occasion a bird bzzzed and waited a couple minutes. The other bird came out of the nest and perched nearby for a few seconds before the bug-carrier went to the nest ('Your turn'). They are very diligent parents. I think their tail-feathers are becoming scruffy because they don't take much (if any) preening time. (Three different bugs for babies- just while I happened to be watching. They are Hard-Working Parents"