Mocked by a Mockingbird

I am being mocked by a mockingbird. Mocking bird's are thestate bird of TN and until this week I wasn't sure what one looked or sounded like. Apparently I had been seeing and hearing them all along, but never made the connection. This week though, every night when I went to bed there was an extremely loud bird outside my window chirping up a storm. I thought this was sort of odd as I am a nightowl and at midnight to 1am when I go to bed, most birds are fast asleep. Not this guy! It went on night after night, right outside my bedroom window. I layed there and counted the different tunes he was singing ..all in short repetitive bursts strung together in a looong tune. I counted up to 20 different bits and then would lose count. It started to bug me..what WAS this bird? I started telling my family about the bird outside my window and they all just gave me "the look"..you know the one.. Ya Mom..(whatever). I started leaping out of bed and peering out my bedroom window trying to catch a glimpse..pitch dark..no luck. I started trying to replicate the tunes to any of my family I could corner. My 8 year old told me knowingly, "That's the "Jeter Bird" Mom!" I asked him what he meant..he said , "It goes..jeter-jeter-jeter". I listened and he was right. I also figured out it was what in my head I had been refering to as the "Swedish Bird". I'd hear it when I was out in my garden and I always thought it sounded like the Swedish Chef from the Muppets, "sproingy-boingy-yoingy doingy". It finally filtered into my mind that the state bird of Tennessee is the Mckingbird (thanks Cub Scouts and my kid's 2nd grade state history homework!) I started dropping everything and jumping out the back door whenever I heard his song during the day and finally caught a glimpse of the culprit. A quick google search confirmed my suspicions. Now I can sleep in peace with the knowledge of who my serenader IS..although I am sure there is probably a lady Mockingbird out there who is the actual recipient of his musical attentions! Sleep tight! Until next time! Julia

Photo credits Photos.com and Wiki (eggs pic)