In the Catbird Seat

 I saw a new (to me) bird the past couple of days, was finally able to get some decent photos:

This is a Gray Catbird.  Pretty cool, I liked his/her black "cap".  Anyway, it got me thinking about the old saying about being "in the catbird seat"...  I don't remember the last time I heard it, but I know my mother used to say it.  I'd never really thought much about it, until now.  

Wikipedia tells me:  "'The catbird seat' is an idiomatic phrase used to describe an enviable position, often in terms of having the upper hand or greater advantage in any type of dealing among parties. It derives from the secluded perch on which the gray catbird makes mocking calls.  Another source says "The phrase appears to have originated in the American south, although the date and circumstances are uncertain. ."