Jim

Finally.

After taking a few trips past car washes and abandoned steel mills, I finally got it - a picture of Jim the Mockingbird.

For those of you familiar with the area, head north out of Trenton on West Jefferson. Between King Road and Sibley, you need to keep your eyes peeled, especially around Jim's Garage and the Pine Fresh Car Wash. Watch for him on the wires, trees, and utility poles. This pic (which I will admit is not really that good) shows him on the corner of a building. That grunge on his beak? Snow. I am not telling you he was eating snow, but I can say it appeared he was eating the snow...

Interestingly, my first Northern Mockingbird (my very first one...) was also in Trenton. During the 1994 Rockwood Christmas Bird Count, a Mocker was found in Elizabeth Park. I went up to see it on December 30, 1994. I recall distinctly heading up there after the new year to see him again. Yeah, it was a new year so I started a new list with the same bird. It's a birder thing.

Anyhow, the distance between the two sites is exactly two miles according to Google Earth. It is so easy to imagine this bird showing up in the Park and then moving up the road a few miles to finally set up shop. That said, I think the park would have been a nicer place. There is just something about abandoned steel mills. Not very picturesque......

Oh yeah, it appears Jim's efforts have paid off. Mrs. Jim has been sighted in the area....