It’s the middle of August and not when you would expect to see some baby birds. But I spotted one.
I was in my backyard on Sunday evening when I heard a ruckus coming from my next door neighbor’s yard. There was a lot of high-pitched chirping going on, and I saw an adult Northern Mockingbird flying about.
When I looked over into the yard, there was a little fledgling mockingbird poking its head out from a large cedar shrub. The adult mockingbird (a parent, I presume) was hanging out at the top of the tall cedar to keep an eye on the offspring.
But why is this happening in August? Audubon.com notes that mockingbirds often have 2 to 3 broods a year.
“Both parents feed the nestlings. Young leave the nest about 12 days after hatching, not able to fly well for about another week,” the website says.
Hopefully this little mockingbird will master flight soon but still hang around the neighborhood.