One night, when I was in Key Biscayne, I heard a beautiful bird call and looked about to see what it was. My explorations were greeted by the very angry and aggressive mocking bird (Mimus polyglottos) of Figure 1. The species name polyglottos really says it all. This bird imitates other bird calls. And the term mocking may already indicate a bit of attitude. Although this one was clearly protecting its nest.

Whenever I see or hear a mockingbird, I am reminded of a school play, which we did in elementary school, about Abraham Lincoln. “Listen to the Mocking Bird” (1855). The song was a popular American song that we were told was one of Abraham Lincoln’s favorites. Its lyrics were composed by Septimus Winner under the pseudonym “Alice Hawthorne”, and its music was by Richard Milburn. Funny the way that you remember odd things.

I believe that I played Andrew Johnson and I had only one line, which I delivered with great force and energy, “No comment!” One of my classmates had a smaller part. He played Lincoln’s statue and he unfortunately passed out during the performance. Oh the indignities of youth!

Canon T2i with EF 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6 L IS USM lens at at 210 mm, ISO 1600, 1/4o0th sec at f/7.1 with no exposure compensation.