Mike in the Wild

Spring's arrival in the Arizona desert shows itself in many ways: temperatures flirting with the nineties, innumerable cactus flowers, blooming palo verde trees, and nesting birds.   The colors of the flora are a visual delight while the warm and dry climate is usually pleasant enough for lots of outdoor activities.  But sometimes our avian friends are an affront to our hearing, especially when it interrupts our sleep. Northern mockingbirds are one of the most common birds in Phoenix's neighborhoods.  Normally their endless varieties of calls are a beautiful and melodious soundtrack to the outdoor landscape.  But in the spring their tweets seem to take on a frantic, incessant rhythm as they try to attract mates.  At one point, their songs start to puncture the calm of night, seeming to invite doves and grackles to the sleep-depriving cacophony. Nevertheless the noisy season is a celebration of life as many birds breed throughout the area.  In time ...

Looks can be deceiving in all aspects of life, and never more so than in the bird world.   Especially in the Arizona deserts, the most beautiful sounds of natures are the vocalizations of the northern mockingbird and curve-billed thrasher.   They are part of a family of birds know as the mimidae, or mimids for short.  While mostly gray or brown and rather dull in appearance, these birds tend to have bright irises of either yellow or gold.  And like their family name intimates, they often mimic the wide range of bird sounds in their environment, making them a tuneful addition to any area's fauna.   So that melodious song may not be the cardinal's and that scratching cluck not the cactus wren's.  Investigate a bit further, it might be the mimid singing. Curve-billed thrasher in Phoenix.   Curve-billed thrasher in Phoenix. Curve-billed thrasher young in nest with parent. Gray catbird in Pelican Lake, Minnesota. Norther...