This Little Guy Was Visiting Too

This Little Northern Mockingbird was hanging out at Shady Grove Cemterey while I was there taking pics.  Couldn't help but snap a picture of him.  Cemteries are great place to photograph birds.

According to the Encyclopedia of Birds of North America, the number of birds' songs that the mockingbird can imitate is 39, along with frogs, crickets and squeaks of items such as squeaking gates. It has been theorized that the mockingbird has more brain matter devoted to song memory than most other birds do.

Links about the Northern Mockingbird:

Texas Parks and Wildlife

About

If your interested in some folklore about Mockingbirds here are a few links:

The Rooster and the Mockingbird

Folklore

The Robins Have Come For A Visit

Folklore about Robins
An interesting belief about the robin is that if it finds a dead body, it will cover it with leaves or moss. This belief  led John Webster to write in his play, The White Devil (c.1608), the following lines.

Call for the robin redbreast and the wren,
Since o'er shady groves they hover,
And with leaves and flowers do cover
The friendless bodies of unburied men

Also in a Thomas Percy poem of 1765, describing the robin's role in his story's tragic ending:

Thus wandered these poor innocents,

Till death did end their grief;

In one another's arms they died,

As wanting due relief;

No burial this pretty pair

Of any man receives,

Till Robin Redbreast piously

Did cover them with leaves.

I've been trying to catch him at every cemetery.... The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Almost every cemetery I have been to this summer I have seen this same species of bird.  He has flown away everytime I get my camera up and ready.  But I was victorious yesterday!  Here he is in all his splendor.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Another Reason To Watch Your Step.

Here's what they turn into.

(Picture taken from Wikipedia. Link at bottom of the blog.)

Many birds nest on the ground and graveyards are a great place for them to nest.  This is a Kildeer nest that was located in between the markers.  The mother bird was doing the I'm hurt dance so I started immediately watching for the nest.  If you are not familiar with Killdeers they have an interesting response when you get close to the nest. They will stick out one wing and act like it's broke and if you approach them the will run a little ways and do it again. This is how they draw predators away. 

Kildeers in Wikipedia