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or rhythmic as the catbird or mockingbird, but its music is rich and soft.
The gray catbird, common here on Long Mountain Road, sings and talks the entire summer. They, too, like tangled and dense undercover for nesting. They know us well for our blueberry bushes, mulberry trees, chokecherries, wild cherries, and virburnams.
Sometimes they do “meow” like a cat, but mostly they issue a constant stream of melodious sound. Fifteen years ago we had no catbirds here on our property; now with massed shrubs and brushy overgrown areas, thick with many berry food sources, we have many nesting pairs.
The gray catbird is classified as a neo-tropical migrant, spending its winter mainly in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
I sometimes imagine what our countryside would be like, without any bird music that we take so much for granted. It would seem quite empty and still.
So the next time you hear a catbird, mockingbird, or brown thrasher, stop and listen for its truly remarkable range of mimicking melodies.
For bird sightings, soundings, and observations call Bruce Jones, 6753152 or e-mail bsjonz@earthlink.net.
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