Lifelong Learner – Florida State Bird

Some birds capture our hearts, and the mockingbird, the Florida state bird, has always had mine. Lifelong learners, mockingbirds learn new sounds throughout their lives.

They inspire us in so many ways, as Miss Maudie, the avid gardener in Harper Lee’s classic book, To Kill a Mockingbird, tells the protagonist, Scout, “Your father is right,” she said, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn cribs. They don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

The beautiful photograph above was taken by Bob Montanaro. Visit his blog to see absolutely amazing photos of a mockingbird chasing off a hawk that was plaguing a sandhill crane family.