Brown Thrasher

 

Neighbor Doug texted asking if Brother Brent was in the middle of the bad weather Texas had overnight.  I knew Frisco where Brent & Evelyn live is a fair distance from Houston where a devestating storm had struck but decided before I texted Doug back I should make sure they weren't affected.  So I called Brent (actually just used Doug's question as an excuse to talk).  Brent said that all was OK w/ them.  The windows of my house were open and Brent commented about all of the birds singing at my place.  It was actually only one bird - the brown thrasher.  It's family name is 'Mimidae' which includes catbirds and mockingbirds.  The thrasher is a natural mimic.  That's why Brent thought there were a number of different birds singing.  The thrasher can impersonate them all plus throw in a few made-up songs.  It does each stanza twice before moving on to the next.  A naturally shy bird, I was lucky to get this pic of it atop a corner of the stockade.  Later I texted Doug back - all OK.