How to raise a mockingbird

In a nondescript boxwood hedge under our kitchen window,


deep within its leaves,


lies a little nest of twigs lined with all manner of natural and manmade textiles.


We thought the nest had been abandoned, but last Saturday, all four eggs hatched,


and the proud parents made themselves quite visibly and audibly known. They stand watch day and night,


and make multiple visits to the nest every hour to feed the babies.


Today the babies are a week old.


Mother and father are even more protective now,


and swoop over my head when I get too close.


The big baby in the middle is much larger than his nestmates.


He's really good at begging to be fed!



Words and photos © 2009-2013 Caroline Homer for "The Shovel-Ready Garden". Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.