To Kill a Mockingbird?

[Michael Weiss]

I'm as fascinated by mockingbirds as Messiaen but, as they say, not in my backyard. For the past week we've been harrassed by one bird, camped out behind our apartment building. It sings all day (no problem) and then again, like turning on a switch, around 1:00am, blowing a six-hour nonstop solo. And this fucker is LOUD. WTF!!!

I wanted to post a soundclip but the file's too big.

[Tom Storer]

Posting this under "Miscellaneous Music" is very funny.

Guess you'll have to move!

[MoGrubb]

I'm as fascinated by mockingbirds as Messiaen but, as they say, not in my backyard. For the past week we've been harrassed by one bird, camped out behind our apartment building. It sings all day (no problem) and then again, like turning on a switch, around 1:00am, blowing a six-hour nonstop solo. And this fucker is LOUD. WTF!!!

I wanted to post a soundclip but the file's too big.

You sure it's the mocking bird that you're hearing at night, or the bird that the mocking bird mocks during the day? I ain't never heard of a mocking bird mock or do anything at night 'cept roost.

[robviti]

excerpts from an article on birdwatching.com:

Recently a reader emailed me that a mockingbird sings in a tree close to his house each night and keeps him awake. He wanted to know how to discourage this bird from nesting near his house or from singing there at night. Although all adult male mockingbirds sing during the day, only a bachelor sings at night. He stops doing that as soon as he wins a mate. What the person who emailed me was complaining about was a love song...

...But what about the poor human, who must get up in the morning and go to work? I replied to the mockingbird man and told him that the night singing would probably cease soon. I also told him a secret about how to cope with the "noise." I learned this secret many years ago, when my husband and I first moved to Iowa. We went camping in the woods. At dusk, as Michael and I sat watching our campfire, the Whip-poor-wills began to sing. Repeatedly, once every second, they chanted their name. Whip-poor-will!

The song was beautiful, but loud, and close, and I wondered if it would ever stop. However, it didn't seem to bother Michael. Impossible though it seemed, he was sound asleep. I turned over. I tried re-adjusting my blanket. I punched my pillow into various shapes. I felt as if one of the birds were trying to find out how near to me it could get before I reached over and grabbed it in the darkness.

It became apparent that sleep was not going to come, and eventually I gave up trying. I lay in the darkness and watched the stars and listened to the Whip-poor-wills. And gradually something remarkable happened: after I stopped trying to will it away, the song began to reveal itself to me.

I noticed textures—burriness, purrs, and accents, subtle ripples upon the larger waves of sound. The birds did seem to be singing their name, but "Whip-poor-will" was only a crude representation of the cadence. I discovered that the middle syllable was slightly doubled. "Whip-poorer-will, Whip-poorer-will." The counterpoint of several voices made shifting moiré patterns of sound.

After a while the chant began to soothe, like an ancient lullaby. It wasn't long before I began to drift, as if I were floating in the sound, and then to doze. Once I woke while it was still night and found that the Whip-poor-wills had fallen silent. I rather missed them. But soon they raised their voices again and lulled me deeper into their song, and off again to sleep.

If I succeeded in persuading my email correspondent to give up fighting against its love song, he may have a similar experience with the mockingbird...It is one's irritation that keeps a person awake, not the bird.

if anyone can make this strategy work, it's the talented mr. weiss.

[Tom Storer]

excerpts from an article on birdwatching.com:

It is one's irritation that keeps a person awake, not the bird.

Excellent insight. Applicable in so many situations!

[Jim Alfredson]

Maybe the bird is getting you back for all that noodling on the pianer!

[Michael Weiss]

After a while the chant began to soothe, like an ancient lullaby.

This is no chant and it ain't no lullabye. It's about as soothing as the CD player in your next room playing Trane from the Half Note on One Down One Up with auto repeat... while you're trying to sleep.

If I succeeded in persuading my email correspondent to give up fighting against its love song

Ain't no love song either

if anyone can make this strategy work, it's the talented mr. weiss.

Yeah, thanks.

We're talking about a litany of ornithological insults. This bird is relentless (Insert Rodney Dangerfield joke here). It reminds me of the Star Cafe jam sessions. After a tune had already been going on for half an hour, I. Digme would stride in off the street, take out his horn and solo forever. I'm a rhythm section slave!

Musically, this mockingbird is a MF. Got a wide-ranging vocabulary. Got all the car-alarm sounds done pat.

Okay, I dig you... now shut the fuck up.

[MoGrubb]

I'm as fascinated by mockingbirds as Messiaen but, as they say, not in my backyard. For the past week we've been harrassed by one bird, camped out behind our apartment building. It sings all day (no problem) and then again, like turning on a switch, around 1:00am, blowing a six-hour nonstop solo. And this fucker is LOUD. WTF!!!

I wanted to post a soundclip but the file's too big.

You sure it's the mocking bird that you're hearing at night, or the bird that the mocking bird mocks during the day? I ain't never heard of a mocking bird mock or do anything at night 'cept roost.

I stand corrected[ the horny little devil].

[catesta]

Just so you know, they are impossible to get rid of. Even if you and your neighbors cut all the area trees down and level the building , more than likely he will stay. Your only really hope is he gets board and takes off on his own.

Good luck!

Edited June 18, 2007 by catesta

[Christiern]

How do they taste?

[porcy62]

I'm as fascinated by mockingbirds as Messiaen but, as they say, not in my backyard. For the past week we've been harrassed by one bird, camped out behind our apartment building. It sings all day (no problem) and then again, like turning on a switch, around 1:00am, blowing a six-hour nonstop solo. And this fucker is LOUD. WTF!!!

I wanted to post a soundclip but the file's too big.

I presume it's not legal shoting from the window at Brooklyn, so my suggestion is to send an anonimous letter to FBI accusing him of being a muslim terrorist, disguised as mocking bird, that uses his sing for calling all muslims of your neighbourhood at jiiad.

[7/4]

I presume it's not legal shooting from the window at Brooklyn,

When did that ever stop anyone?

[porcy62]

I presume it's not legal shooting from the window at Brooklyn,

When did that ever stop anyone?

I think that anonimous letter to FBI would be more exciting, even for your neighbours

[catesta]

How do they taste?

It's gotta be like one of these two....

[MoGrubb]

How do they taste?

It's gotta be like one of these two....

Ironically it doesn't mock them; 'least I've never heard a mockingbird mock a chicken nor a prairie dog, or whatever that varmint is.