LEND AN EAR: A Smethport reader reports a mockingbird in her
yard, saying she had heard it off and on for several years. It has
a beautiful voice, singing mornings and evenings, she reports. The
bird can imitate six or seven of its feathered friends.

Our question, of course, was, how do you know you’re hearing a
mocking bird and not the bird it’s mocking?

“I’ve seen him call,” she reports.

As far as we know, we’ve never heard (or seen) a mocking bird so
we had to consult our bird book.

This unassuming bird may not look like much, but here’s what we
learned about its voice: “The bird’s beautiful bird song is richest
on warm, moonlit nights in spring, when the bird may spend hours
giving amazing imitations of other species. The songs of 36 other
species were recognized from the recording of one mockingbird in
Massachusetts.”

And get this: The bird is so territorial it will attack its own
reflection – to the point of injuring or even killing itself!

COMMUNITY PARK: “The old Community Park was operational at least
as late as 1956 for organized baseball,” Tom Spencer, now of South
Bend, Ind., writes.

“In fact, that spring the Bradford team actually became a Yankee
affiliate for about a month or two. Randy Gumpert, who played in
the majors with the Yankees and other teams, was the manager. He is
in his late 80s now, but told me he doesn’t remember playing any
games due to bad weather.

“He said he remembers working out in a barn, and it was so rainy
and cold. Bad weather and rain outs apparently led to the Yankees’
decision to move the franchise in May or June to Kearney, Neb.

“I believe the park was used occasionally after 1956 for PONY
League exhibition games, for I seem to remember attending a game or
two there while in grade school. I know we used to sneak into the
park in the early 1960s to play sand lot games, and I recall it
being very well-kept, with a manicured infield and nice grass, so I
am sure they must have used it occasionally.”

Joe Zukoski adds to our reminiscences of the park with this
note: “In 1962, I was a senior and played baseball for Bill Keane
in the American Legion League. Our home field was Community
Park.”