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05-23-2010, 12:04 AM
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So Much For A Quiet Afternoon At Home.
Jr. and I went on a short day trip that involved a gun show. I didn't want to go too far because I am taking a few days off and going on a longer trip next week. We had a lot of sun and hot temperature so when I got home I just wanted to get comfortable and kick back for awhile. I was doing this when the fun started.
I was watching the mockingbird build her nest a few weeks ago. She built close to the house where my cats roam and I figured then she would have problems. I didn't know I would be part of them at the time. Mockingbirds are not very bright when it comes to nest building. They build flimsy nests that are very often in a not too well thought out location. They are also not very bright when it comes to harrassing cats that are too close to their nest. The bird here has been dive-bombing and pecking my cats for several days.
Fuzzy is one of my cats. Of the four who hang around my house he is absolutely the dumbest one and the biggest coward. He sometimes will not go out for days so he won't have to fight a neighbor cat. He goes hunting but until now never catches anything. He will sit for hours under a tree in the rain if he thinks something is in the tree. But until today I've never seen him catch anything. I went to my ammo room which is located outside my house and saw fuzzy coming up the driveway with the momma mockingbird in his mouth. I didn't know if he had killed her so I opened the door and called for Jr. to come help see if she was still alive. I don't have anything against mockingbirds, except when they decide to burst into song on a moonlit night at two a.m. just outside my window, and I wanted to let her go if she was still alive because I knew she had babies around there somewhere.
When I opened the door Fuzzy ran in with the bird still in his mouth and ran between Jr.'s legs on the way to my office. Kiki (my granddaughter named him because at the time she couldn't say kitty) the bob-tailed Manx devil cat and Petey, my rat terrier, joined in the chase with Jr. and I and we all ended up in the office. I shut the door to the small room about the time the bird got loose. It was trying to fly out the window while two cats were bouncing off the walls and everything else in there trying to recatch that scared bird. The dog was barking non-stop as the bird repeatedly hit the glass window trying to get outside. Jr. and I tripped over each other and the animals several times until he finally caught the bird. Now the cats were coming after him and the dog was still barking.
I finally managed to lock all the animals in the office and went with Jr. outside to look at the bird. We walked out on the deck as the bird made a sort of growling noise. We didn't know if the bird was hurt until Jr. opened his hands and let it go. It flew off apparently unhurt with only a few feathers missing. About an hour later I saw it feeding one of it's young over near the woodsline. I'll keep the cats penned up for a few days until the babies can learn how to fly.
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05-23-2010, 12:14 AM
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Rooting for the mocker (great story tho) - shot in our yard:
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Lou
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05-23-2010, 02:20 AM
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... shut the door to the small room about the time the bird got loose. It was trying to fly out the window while two cats were bouncing off the walls and everything else in there trying to recatch that scared bird. The dog was barking non-stop as the bird repeatedly hit the glass window trying to get outside. Jr. and I tripped over each other and the animals several times until he finally caught the bird. Now the cats were coming after him and the dog was still barking....
Sounds like a pretty lively time!
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05-23-2010, 03:16 AM
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Wait a minute ... no taser ... no spray ... no Big Momma ... I'm confused!
What a time!
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05-23-2010, 04:48 AM
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Speaking of cats and mockingbirds...
One day last summer, I kept hearing a commotion out on the porch. I figured our cat Lucy (Lucretia MacEvil), a Japanese Bobtail, had cornered another possum. Lucy is both fearless and merciless with her prey.
Imagine my surprise to find Lucy on the doorstep, being harassed by a mockingbird.
And she just lay there, as the bird danced around and verbally abused her. I had to get the camera!
I think this last photo pretty much sums it up...
"Where's the sport in this?"
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05-23-2010, 06:46 AM
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One time we came home from an afternoon trip to Home Depot. We walked into the front door and there alone on the dining room floor was a dead small bird. The two house cats were sleeping in the den.
Following the trail of bird poop smeared up and down the walls, we went up the center stairway, into the guest bedroom, down the hall into the master bedroom and into the master bath where the window had been left partially open (no screen) for ventilation.
To this day, we can only imagine the ruckus that took place that deadly afternoon.
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05-23-2010, 07:07 AM
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One thing I have learned from rescuing a couple of creatures the cat brought in - first, catch the cat and throw him outside. Otherwise, heaven and hell won't keep him from trying to get to the victim again.
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05-23-2010, 07:24 AM
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I've been listening to one for the past hour. How much for the cat, Charlie?
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05-23-2010, 07:44 AM
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Lucky for the bird that your cat didn't like the sounds of crunching bones. I haven't heard that sound for probably 55yrs., but still remember a cat eating a mouse.
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05-23-2010, 09:49 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cobroller
I've been listening to one for the past hour. How much for the cat, Charlie?
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lol. Now that was funny!
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Misty
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05-23-2010, 10:24 AM
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My closest neighbors cat brought a live 12" Mohave rattlesnake into their house.
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My Mother likes me.
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05-23-2010, 11:14 AM
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Absent Comrade
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Quote:
Originally Posted by charlie sherrill
I don't have anything against mockingbirds, except when they decide to burst into song on a moonlit night at two a.m. just outside my window.
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That hits the nail on the head. I am presently listening to what has to be the virtuoso of the breed warbling away in the large mockorange outside my bedroom window. He has,by my best count,SEVENTEEN different "songs" that he repeats ,in the same order, incessantly. There is a streetlamp beside the tree. I honestly don't believe the little demon ever sleeps! Oh well,it will be heating up soon and I'll have to close the window and turn on the AC. That will muffle the racket somewhat.
f.t.
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South Carolina-God's country
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05-23-2010, 08:41 PM
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Charlie, you needed a gator and a skunk in there to make it really interesting.
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05-23-2010, 11:09 PM
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Max, I've had experience with both, though not at the same time.
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05-23-2010, 11:29 PM
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Banned
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Charlie I had something happen today that made me think of you, look in the lounge in a few minutes
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05-24-2010, 03:04 AM
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Scoutsdad-where is Rodeo and Paradise
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05-26-2010, 08:24 AM
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Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Attitus Finch to daughter Scout, Chapter 10.
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Nothing to see here,move along
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05-26-2010, 09:27 AM
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It's also against the law in the state of Fla.
State bird.
D.G.
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05-26-2010, 09:40 AM
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Administrator
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Charlie,
Was the cat charged?
Is the cat and the bird related?
Has either been involved in prior incidents?
Did you think about macing the dog?
Mockingbirds-
sometimes interesting, sometimes annoying.
Years ago, we had one that would start its routine at dawn on top of the same pole. It must have known 35 songs.
We have one now that often sounds like a person whistling for a dog- whoit-whoit-whoit.
Another one defended the feeder so viciously we put up two more. I thought it would work itself to death for three days defending all of them till it gave up and settled for the first one alone.
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Regards,
Lee Jarrett
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