I have mentioned "my" Mockingbird here before. He used to land on my hand and eat live mealworms from my open palm.
I have also complained about his lack of success in finding a mate. He sang continuously - including all night long, until he finally attracted a little grey feathered cutie.
Today, he has been having a fit - really aggressive with other birds on the feeders (ten feet from his nest). He has been chasing the cat next door. He attacked the squirrels when they came to feed today. And when the little boy up the hill walked by, the Mockingbird popped him in the back of the head twice. As usual, he didn't pay much attention to me when I was out and let me take his picture as usual from about six feet away. But when the little boy up the hill walked by, the Mockingbird popped him in the back of the head twice.
I really didn't think anything about it until I went out to take pictures this afternoon. I was looking for a red bodied damselfly that I saw yesterday. I spotted a dark shape in a large patch of weeds but couldn't tell what it was. I had to get about five feet away before I could see it was a fledgling Mockingbird. I backed up and took some pictures with my 500 mm lens - I didn't want to be too close.
"My" Mockingbird was in the tree just above the baby just watching. Then I saw a second one on the ground. "My" Mockingbird watched me as I moved around to get my shot but never fussed at all.
It is surprising how he accepts me and does not see me as a threat. The same way he did with both broods last year.
I took this picture and am now trying to decide what a Mockingbird would like in lieu of a cigar.