Bird watching, watching the birds

This morning when I was making my smoothie and coffee (aka my breakfast), the birds outside were having such a conversation, I swear there was a party going on in the bushes. Yet it was only 8 in the morning, so something was popping out there. 

I was able to see a mockingbird hopping around on the wall that separates the back of my community and the main road of the city, so I watched him to see what he was doing. Once I got my breakfast put together, I got my camera and decided to watch a little longer. 

The mockingbird paced the wall for a couple minutes and then flew to the tree outside the kitchen window. It was then I got to take a couple photos of him, including when he turned around and I got his tail (end). I wanted to say to him, "nice bum; where ya from?" but I didn't have a female bird to push his way. 

I know these particular flying creatures are fighters - they're not afraid to attack you, so I didn't want to get involved. As much as there was a closed window between us, you never know with them. 

During mating season, these birds are vicious. They will attack you if you get too close to their nesting area / territory. The males make a home in various plant life in order to try to woo the females into having babies with them (like any other sentient being does). If there are nests that are too close to each other, the birds will fight one another, essentially a "get off my lawn" / "find your own area" moment. Humans are not immune to being abused; I've been touched a few times by these things, as my mother and most of our neighbors have as well. My mother refers to this time "Alfred Hitchock's The Birds in real life". 

Last season, it became a game among the neighbors to see who had yet been body hit by a flying monster. None of us got scraped / cut; we just got a smack somewhere and the bird flew off. If we didn't move quickly enough, the bird came back to hit us again. I started calling one "Sid Vicious" because his home was close to my driveway. He'd be on the ready to pounce on anyone, hence "vicious". There was another bird two driveways over that Sid would fight with. 

It's strange to watch them go at it because they get so tangled up with each other, they literally are tumbling in the air as they're mid flight. They end up on the ground, even rolling on the sidewalk until they become airborne again.  

Anyway, history of the mockingbird over. The one I saw today in the backyard:

I didn't do any formal editing (in Photoshop), outside of auto tune (tone, color, contrast, sharpen) and adding my name. Like I said, there was a window between us, so I know the color is off (our windows have a slight tint to them) and I'm still not on a calibrated system. The camera used was a Canon EOS Rebel T7i (currently refurbished on Amazon) and a Canon 75-300mm lens (currently refurbished on Amazon). Both are old models at this point and since they still work, I'm in no hurry to get upgrades unless I decide to get a better zoom.. and have a great paying job I need it for.  

While I was looking around to see the sources of the squawking, I saw a red bellied woodpecker. I haven't seen any type of woodpecker in ages, so this was really cool. However, I did have to change my spot in the house to capture a few photos, so they're a bit grainy and not so good. I had to shoot through the lanai screens on top of through the lanai doors. He had moved around the tree he was pecking at, so in order to stay with him, I had to move. Hence the weirdness of the photos (color - background washed out, he's a bit out of focus, totally zoomed in with the lens).

For all the pictures, I used the "flash off" setting because I didn't want to start messing with anything else. Who knows when I'd be able to see these guys again? I do tend to leave my camera in the "flash off" setting as it is, because most of the shots I take are indoors / of people. 

Just for sake of seeing how far the reach is, I got some other, bigger bird, across the street. The red tail hawks / hawk sized birds usually hang out on the lamp posts most of the day. Usually they snag a fish or two from the man made lakes and ponds, and use the lights as a dinner table. It's probably a nice little hibachi style heat and eat for them. Sushi, anyone?

I didn't see any other bird flapping around, so I don't know where the other noise was coming from. I guess they were all hidden in the trees and bushes and didn't want to come out and get their picture taken. 

It should be noted, that my mother thinks the mockingbird is really a blue jay, so any bird people want to correct me on this, please do. I honestly am second guessing what I took now.

Until we get things sorted and I see more wildlife, take care of yourselves. Be nice to and respect each other.

Cheers;

See also

* Link for "Monitor Calibration tool" via Amazon

* "Nice bum where ya from" framed poster via Amazon (in various sizes)

* "Nice bum where you from" pickup line shirts, pop socket, bag, phone case via Amazon

* Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" movie and links to other items of interest via Amazon