Immature Northern Mockingbird holding an insect in its beak while standing on the ground in a grassy backyard.

A Clever Encounter With an Immature Northern Mockingbird

by

Last week, I had a delightful surprise in my backyard here in Arkansas, when an immature Northern Mockingbird decided to make an appearance, and in quite an unusual way!

Mockingbird at the Hummingbird Feeder?

This young bird caught my attention when it started visiting my hummingbird feeder. Now, before you imagine a mockingbird sipping nectar, let me explain. The clever bird wasn’t interested in sugar water. Instead, it discovered the ant moat, the small water reservoir on top of the feeder meant to keep ants away. To my surprise, this resourceful youngster found it to be the perfect drinking spot!

Why Not the Birdbath?

What made this even more curious is that I have a birdbath just a few feet away. So why choose the feeder? My theory is simple: the birdbath might have too many visitors. Perhaps this young mockingbird was looking for a quieter place to drink without competition from other birds.

A Curious Observation

Immature Northern Mockingbird holding an insect in its beak while standing on the ground in a grassy backyard.
An immature Northern Mockingbird stands alert in my Arkansas yard with a small insect in its beak, possibly practicing its hunting skills.

While I wasn’t fast enough to get a photo of the mockingbird at the feeder, I did manage to capture a few shots of it in the yard. In one interesting moment, I watched it catch an insect, then immediately drop it without eating it. Maybe it was practicing its hunting skills? Observing the behavior of young birds like this is always a treat.

First-Time Sighting in My Yard

Immature Northern Mockingbird standing in a dry grassy area with green blades in the foreground, looking to the side.
This young Northern Mockingbird paused for a moment of curiosity, giving me the perfect opportunity to capture its speckled plumage and upright stance.

This was my first time photographing an immature Northern Mockingbird in my yard, which made the experience even more special. Watching how fledglings explore and interact with their surroundings is both entertaining and educational.

A Pattern of Unique Behavior

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time I’ve observed odd behavior from mockingbirds in my yard. Back in May, I wrote about an adult Northern Mockingbird’s unusual interest in my suet feeder. You can check out that story in my post, A Northern Mockingbird’s Peculiar Suet Behavior.

It’s exciting to know that the mockingbirds nesting in my neighbor’s yard have successfully raised at least one chick. As a bird lover, witnessing this cycle of life so close to home is one of the joys of backyard birding.

I’m eager to see what other surprises this young mockingbird might bring. Stay tuned for more birding moments from my yard!

2 thoughts on “A Clever Encounter With an Immature Northern Mockingbird”

  1. Hey, Steve.
    I have Baltimore Orioles (and other birds) that regularly drink from the ant moats above my hummingbird feeders. I’m not sure why they do this, but it seems to be reasonably popular!

Comments are closed.