I've been makeing a window feeder from items off ebay. See "Sandras Bluebirds" thread. I'm going to make one out of total plexi glass eventually. I've been watching, (up close!) what the mockingbirds do. They have a really good reach even through a 1 1/2" hole. When I make my new one I'm going to have the cups recessed in the bottom of the feeder. This will lengthen the distance to the food AND make the viewing even better! Plus I'm finding the mockingbirds will grab the dish and move it closer to eat. If the cups were securely in a hole, this would fix this. I'm not sure if you can or would want to drill big holes into a metal feeder, but it's just a thought. I also adjusted a caged suet feeder that seems to keep them out. I'll take some pics and post them.

I guess no one has had any trouble with mockingbirds in the south, but I have. I did a websearch for bluebirds and mockingbirds and found some good things to read. Mockingbirds are VERY territorial. I am home most of the time because of being laid off, and once when coming home from the post office, there was a large mockingbird on top of the bluebird house full of little babies. I jumped out of my car like a maniac and ran toward it, and it flew into a nearby smallish tree and I shook the tree and it flew away. I thought his behavior looked had threatening air towards the bluebirds. So that's when I read up on it. I'm sure you can find some other good information if you do a websearch on "bluebirds and mockingbirds". I'm so happy that the bluebirds there are having such big nestings of 6! I know that is very exciting to watch. I'd love to see a picture of your sculpture also. I love to watch the bluebirds go on their chosen perch and watch after their brood.

I've been fortunate enough to have a pair of mockingbirds in my backyard year around for several years. They are very protective of their territory, especially to other mockingbirds. Every year, they raise two or three offspring, but run them off soon after they fledge. The only other birds they seem to tolerate are a pair of white wing doves that nest in a youpon holly tree. Maybe because the doves don't compete for the same food source. They go nuts in the spring when the flocks of Cedar Waxwings come through and strip off the remaining winter youpon holly berries, which is the mockingbirds main food source in winter. They are overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of Waxwings, but just complain loudly. The most interesting thing is they mate for life, but go through a re-bonding ritual every spring. They face each other on the ground about 2 feet apart, and the male will hop forward and place a youpon berry on the ground, then hop back. The female then hops forward, picks up the berry and hops back. They do this several times a day until they finally go off and build a new nest and lay eggs.

Thanks to you both, Lazygardens and bluegirl, I believe you are both right and I will continue to enjoy the mockingbirds and blue jays from the yard. I have two hummer feeders, two little bird feeders and one large bird feeder. Ive been spoiled by having the other birds being so close to the window, they have become personal to the cats and myself, being just inches to a few feet on the other side of the window. Right now, I have daily visits from about seventy to eighty mixed birds and hummers. House finches - two females and one male came in early spring, I think they were from last year, but they were new to me, I thought they were some kind of sparrow, I did a goggle search for a red headed sparrow, it came back with pictures and the name house finch, they had seven offspring. They stay at the feeders. Titmice are my favorite. One set of parents and four youngsters have three females and one male, going by the size of the black patches on their forehead. Cardinals mom, dad and five young, three males and two females, all hatched in late spring, mom had a large brood this year, seems like they will stay together, papa and momma is always close. In the early spring we had a good number of blue birds with a pinkish chest, and a yellow finch, haven't seen the blue bird since the middle of spring, any idea where the blue bird went would be helpful. The yellow finch will show up every two or three weeks. The hummers are another story, I have no idea how many females there are from one day to the next, but there have been at least six males from time to time, since they are in a constant chase with the females, I can get a pretty accurate count on the males, I have had as many as six females outside the window at once. Thanks again