Today's Bubbler Bird

 Gray Catbird. 

A relative of the Mockingbird, this critter also mimics the calls of other birds. But it is known, and named, for its cat like call.

This bird likes forest edges with thick shrubs and fruit. That describes our yard, so we've had several about for the last month or so. They, along with the Great-crested Flycatchers, have picked our Elderberry and Viburnums clean. Chowing down on the berries.

They are curious, like their namesake, and will often fly to a nearby bush to check us out while we're in the yard. Also curious is that despite their being a year round resident of New Jersey, we do not see them year round in our yard. We see them in spring and then again in fall.

I suspect that the lack of understory in the woods around us, due to deer pressure, is the reason they're not here. Perhaps as we extend the deer fence around our yard, to recreate this forest understory, they'll decide to hang around.

Until them, we've still several fruiting shrubs and they are welcome to pick them clean too.

🐦  🐦  🐦  🐦  🐦

You can find all of the Yard Critter posts listed here.