There is a time and a place . . .

[Freedom]

There is a proper time and place for almost everything.

One in the morning, in the maple tree outside my bedroom window, is NOT the time and place for a mocking bird to go through his ENTIRE repertoire! Did I mention, we've had some nice weather, sleeping with the windows open at night? This bird is less than 20 feet from my window, less than 25 feet from my bed! He carries on for an hour and half, and I could swear he never repeats one sound.

He knows most every bird's song, call and chirp, as well as a wolf call (must have hung out near a construction site at some point), crickets, baby crying and a ringing telephone. GAH! This has been THREE nights in a row.

I love animals, really, I DO. However I have considered going out there with the rake, handle end in the air, and rattling the lower leaves / branches to make him (or her?) move on.

Of course, the vision of me in my PJ's out in the front yard at 1 AM may be more than enough to scare the bird away, lol.

[phesina]

Oh, that's funny, Sandie! (Though I suppose I wouldn't find it so if I was the one being kept awake by it..)

I hope it soon finds another venue for its nightly concerts.

[Karen]

My brother-in-law once was practicing a particularly tricky chord progression on the accordion years ago on a warm day with the windows open. He went over and over and over it, until he was sure he got it right - and when he stopped, the mocking bird outside the window kept it up for quite some time!

[pomtzu]

At least you know where he/she is, and you could run him/her off if you were so inclined - unlike crickets who are never where their song indicates that they are. Many a night I have tried to hunt one down in the house to silence it's serenade, but to no avail. My son's cats eventually locate them and feast upon the noisy little pests, but they leave the not so meaty legs all over the kitchen floor!

ETA: I wonder if your little chatterbox was once someone's "pet", since he knows some people related sounds??

[Randi]

I know how you feel. This morning at 4.30 I was woken up by two different birds sitting in the trees just out side my windows - I also keep my window open a bit. It was like they were competing who could make the most noise, one wasn't even singing, but sounded like an old fashioned washboard. I'm tired!

Normally Fister wakes me up 2-3 times a night, but he has been fairly good lately. If it isn't one thing it's another.

[happylabs]

Oh my I feel your pain on this one. Lots of birds where I live. Why are they so happy at that hour of the morning?!?

[cassiesmom]

Mockingbird, you can come and give a performance outside my building. There are many nights that I don't sleep too well. Then you can give your serenade to my mom and dad's really annoying neighbor

[Vette]

Yep. know the feeling.

squirrels can be just as irritating. especially when you live in a wooded area an theres more then one barking back an an forth to one another

[Freedom]

Lol!

[Randi]

Squirrels... I wonder how they sound. I hear some wierd noises during night and I wonder if those is what I hear. So they bark, do they?

[Freedom]

Use Google, put in: squirrel barking

Here is one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy0ofmoAsCA