So...yesterday, I heard THE mockingbird! The way he changes sounds so quickly, I'm not really thinking he's the mystery bird now. Especially since the mystery bird makes his one sound over and over. Catherine, it's a monotone, for sure. It's usually 2 "teets", separated by a pause, then many "teets" in a row before pausing and starting over. It appears to be speeding up, but now my memory is fading. It's been so long since I've heard it as close to the house as it was the first 2 days. It's a strong sound, not very high pitched, just solid. I have absolutely nothing to compare it to, so I'm sorry for the vague descriptions! As I mentioned earlier, the tempo of the song of the vermilion flycatcher is VERY similar, albeit it's MUCH more high-pitched than the mystery bird's. (I just listened to the song on the Cornell site, and it sounds nothing like the vermilion song in my book - "The repeated territorial song of the male Vermilion Flycatcher!" Ack!) DH did say the bird was a tad smaller than our scrub jays. He said the tail appeared black on the top with "some white underneath"....although trying to view anything against the harsh glare of the sky is NOT very accurate. LOL Thanks for continuing to try, ladies!! The wind is here until Friday, so I may not get another chance to see it until then. :( Brenda

The only bird you've listed that uses a cavity to nest in is the House Sparrow. House Sparrows do not need a cavity to nest in, but they will use one. All the other birds you have listed will not use a nest box. I would never let a House Sparrow nest in one of my boxes, but maybe it doesn't matter so much in the city?

Congrats on your Mocker, and it's a nice pic!! Oh...those crazy Mockers. I just love mine. They can really dominate a yard, but they are so much fun to watch. I had 2 pairs that built their nests fairly close to one another in my yard this spring. It has been a riot to watch them try to coexist peacefully. They aren't always so successful, and squabbles break out often. Now, I am watching the juveniles "get their attitudes on." I think that one of my males has decided to try to break a Guiness World Record for the longest constant vocalizations. That boy sings all day long and all night long, flying from perch to perch to stake his claim to territory. So funny! Here is a recent shot of one of the parents with a fledgling in my yard, and another shot of 2 of the fledglings together.~~Angie

Mockingbirds are protected by Federal and State law. They are great to have around a garden, as they eat all kinds of insects, and feed their babies insects exclusively.