The Voice of Spring

Or maybe early summer. There's a mocking bird outside my window that has been singing practically non-stop for days, day and night. I didn't even know that was possible, so I did some research. Apparently this is how male mockingbirds attract females, proving both their physical tirelessness and willingness to make fool of themselves in public in order to get laid. And it seems to work: the population of mocking birds has expanded by a factor of five in the Los Angeles area during the twentieth century.


Above: a mocking bird with a twig in his mouth, thus taking a break from his singing.



This is also the time of the year when the Jacaranda trees put on their big show, totally covered with their striking lavender leaves. The rest of the year they just drop sticky residue on sidewalks and cars parked beneath them.

These Jacarandas are planted dramatically against a dark green background of trees, so they show up better than they would against a blue sky.