Right back atcha, @enginewitty! Glad to be back.
As far as our mockingbirds are concerned, it was clear that they have a nest somewhere near, but I still haven't found it. But, even though Truffle has been out every day, they haven't repeated their performance, so who knows?
Mockingbirds doing what mockingbirds do.
The single funniest - and most impressive - display I've ever seen from a mockingbird, was when I still lived in Florida, and standing in my front yard in Largo, watched a pair of mockingbirds CHASE OFF A FULL GROWN BALD EAGLE because it had gotten too close to their nest in our huge ficus tree.
They're completely fearless when it comes to protecting their nests!
I've watched them chase off ospreys, red tailed hawks, and other raptors, despite the fact that any one of these birds of prey could have easily decided to have a mockingbird snack, and end the entire exchange.
And, speaking of bald eagles, we seem to have one or more as new neighbors, as my next-door-neighbor recently showed me a photo he took of one feeding on roadkill a mile or so down our street, and then I spotted one overhead as I returned home a couple of days later, less than a quarter mile north of my place.
I'm completely thrilled, as one of the things I miss the most about our place in Florida is the large number of bald eagles and ospreys we had in the area, including a park with several nests by the lake, less than a mile from our house.
We used to have both bald eagle nests and osprey nests all over Pinellas County, as the whole county is a designated bird sanctuary, and the birds absolutely know it.
I once told my sister that, if I was ever in a one-car accident, if it happened during daylight hours, she could be pretty certain that I was most likely watching either dolphins, ospreys or eagles.
And, one of my absolute favorite things about having a sunroof is that, when photographing birds, if you slam a car door, they'll fly away. But, if you just park, and pop up through the sunroof to film them, they couldn't care less, it doesn't bother them, and they just view you as part of the landscape.
I had an absolute blast photographing birds in Florida.
;-)