Northern Mockingbird Beating Around the Bush

The old bromide says "a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush" ... so I guess 1 bird in the bush is worth 1/2 a bird in the hand? Last January I met this Northern Mockingbird in what I believe to be (based on those thorns) a Multiflora Rose bush. 

While most birds prefer to eat small invertebrates, many invertebrates are either dead or hunkered down somewhere for the winter, and things like berries and seeds become their primary food source. Though I don't like to say good things about the invasive Multiflora Rose, I can see the appeal for the mockingbird:
  • The berries provide an easy meal.
  • The thorns provide some protection against predators that might want to rush in.
January 26, 2023 at Duke Farms
Photo 263363816, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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