Maddy's new friend?

While out in the garden Friday morning, I noticed that Maddy was spending a lot of time underneath the power line looking up to it at a mockingbird and barking. And the mockingbird would be talking back looking down at Maddy. She'd fly to the tree, then back up to the power line, then down to the ground and the whole time making noises at Maddy. I thought how weird, are they trying to play with each other?

Saturday morning, Mat was looking out the door from the back porch and asked me to come check something out. By the time I got there, nothing was going on the bird was up on the power line and Maddy was below. Mat said the mockingbird dive bombed Maddy and pecked at her butt! I didn't believe Mat because why would a bird do that? Don't they know that Maddy is part labrador retriever...the retriever part meaning they were bred to retrieve birds?

This morning, Maddy and I are walking back to the garden to water it and out of nowhere the bird came down and pecked Maddy! And the mockingbird did it again about a half hour later! I guess this bird feels really comfortable with all of us and doesn't feel threatened. We looked up mockingbirds in The Sibley Guide to Birds and it says they are "conspicuous and aggressive." We'd have to agree on that one!