A few years ago I found a baby mockingbird in the yard.  I hand-fed that silly bird on slivers of t-bone steak and raisins.  I know you are supposed to feed them worms, but have you ever tried to feed a baby bird earthworms with a pair of tweezers?  Anyway, the mocking bird has been returning every year and vainly looking for a mate.  He always seemed  so lonesome.  This year, however, he snared a female and they set up housekeeping.  While she was incubating he would bring her gifts of grasshoppers, spiders, raisins, peanuts, etc.  After each delivery of goodies he would fly to the top of the power pole to sing and display, letting everyone in the neighborhood know what a good provider he is.  Now he has babies in the nest and he appears on the window sill every morning as I am enjoying my pot of coffee.  He looks me straight in the eye and struts and sings and flashes his wings, as if trying to show me how proud he is of his new family.  He still takes food from my hand, but instead of swallowing it he delivers it to his brood.  What a bird!

Marla