Category Archives: bird calls

Mid-July Birds

After a nice cold front passage, the dawn chorus this morning, starting before five, was lovely. Several very persostent and loud American Robins sang non-stop, nearly drowning out the other singers. Song Sparrows tuned up as did Common Yellowthroats and Purple Finches. A ways off, a White-throated Sparrow sang the “peabody, peabody” tune. Then, about 5:30, it got very still except for the quiet cooing of a Mourning Dove. What a lovely way to start a summer Sunday in Vermont.

I put out the bird feeder and suet about six and a Hairy Woodpecker shows up right away with a “it’s about time” attitude. Four finches hit the feeder as does a chickadee. I hear our first Chestnut-sided Warbler and Blue Jay.

On our early morning walk, the dog and I took our time, she checking new smells, I listening for bird calls and enjoying the cool morning air.  A sweatshirt felt good — a little unreal after the 90+ temperatures of last week.  I heard a Brown Creeper and then an Ovenbird.  The bird activity picked up again as the sun rose.

I heard a Black and White Warbler and then a Yellow-rumped Warbler began singing right overhead.  I chased it around with the binoculars and then the camera but it moved pretty erratically.  I grabbed a couple of lousy shots including this one:

YRWarblerW

Down in the meadow, things were hopping in the dew-soaked goldenrod.  Several Common Yellowthroats and about a half dozen Song Sparrows cavorted.  The foliage and weak morning light made photos tough.  Here are a couple:

Yellowthroats love to hide in the underbrush -- and are a challenge to photograph.

Yellowthroats love to hide in the underbrush — and are a challenge to photograph.

There were several juvenile Song Sparrows like this chasing each other around.

There were several juvenile Song Sparrows like this chasing each other around.

I happened to look up just as a hawk, likely a Broad-winged, flew over with a rodent in its talons.  It was being harassed by a group of smaller birds.  It returned, empty-handed, a bit later and I suspected it might have youngsters to feed.  Several Red-eyed Vireos started up in the tall sugar maples, singing their seemingly never-ending song.  I could spot them but they were way up there and moving a lot.

As I headed back, I thought about how precious these days are, filled as they are with bird song and many youngsters learning the ropes.  They’ll be heading out soon — I haven’t seen our Rose-breased Grosbeak pair in about a week and suspect they are easing southward.  I was encouraged, as I poured another coffee, to see one of our juvenile hummers tanking up.  They have a long trip ahead of them.

HummerAW

Drink up buddy, you’ve got a long trip ahead of you.

Tweet of the Day from BBC Radio 4

Sir David Attenborough will launch Tweet Of The Day on May 6th

Sir David Attenborough will launch Tweet Of The Day on May 6th

Birdsong is to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 as part of a new series titled Tweet of the Day, which will air before the Today programme for the next year.

From 6 May, early risers will hear a different call or song from British bird species, followed by a story and facts about the tweet in question.

Sir David Attenborough will present every 90-second episode during May.

Other wildlife presenters including Miranda Krestovnikoff, Steve Backshall and Chris Packham will then take over.

Each episode will feature the song of a particular bird followed by insights into that bird’s behaviour and habits. The series will also tell the birds’ stories through science, social history, culture, literature and music, the station said.

Sir David Attenborough said: “I’ve seen some of the most incredible animals on my travels around the world, but Tweet Of The Day is a nice reminder of the teeming world of birds on my doorstep.”

There are 596 species on the official bird list in Britain and producers at the BBC Natural History Unit have trawled through more than 1,000 bird recordings in the BBC sound archive.

But the station must make new recordings of species like the nightingale, the greenfinch and the garden warbler because of gaps in its archive. There will be 265 instalments of Tweet of the Day.

Radio 4 controller Gwyneth Williams said: “I’m thrilled to have birds flying into the early morning schedule on Radio 4. David Attenborough, of course, will rule the roost.”

The series will be broadcast every weekday morning at 05.58 with a special tweet repeated on Sundays at 08.58. Every episode of Tweet Of The Day will be available to download.

Mnemonic Winter Bird Calls

Mnemonic: “assisting or intended to assist memory” is a way that some learn bird calls — most of us have heard the Barred Owl’s “Who Cooks for You?” or the White-throated Sparrow’s “Peabody Peabody Peabody” or “O Canada, O Canada, O Canada.”   Since we have so few birds around, for me it’s a good time to get going on sharpening recognition skills because the warblers are down south, starting to think about heading northward.  At least I hope they are.

So I listed some of the species we are seeing around Vermont this winter and included their mnemonic description and in some cases, a recording.  Note that our friends at Cornell have on their wonderful About Birds site not only descriptions but calls.

American Goldfinch
pa-chip-chip-chip per-chick-a-ree
po-ta-to-chip (and dip {in flight})

American Kestrel
klee; klee; klee

American Robin
cheer-up; cheer-a-lee; cheer-ee-o, whinny
AMRO_song_mp3

Belted Kingfisher
stuttering; non-musical; dry rattle in-flight
BEKI call

The rattling call of the Belted Kingfisher is unmistakeable.  photo by mikebaird

The rattling call of the Belted Kingfisher is unmistakeable. photo by mikebaird

Black-capped Chickadee
chk-a-dee-dee-dee (rapid; higher-pitched than Carolina); fee-bee
BCCH_song_mp3

Bohemian Waxwing
Bzeee-bzeee-bzeee-bzeee
BOWA flight call

Brown Creeper
trill (hp; rapid) always as individuals
BRCR Call

Common Redpoll
a chatter of several sharp, zapping notes; a nasal, rising whistle lasting nearly half a second; and a rattle or trill that lasts nearly a second
CORE call 1 (.mp3)  CORE call 2 (.mp3)

Cooper’s Hawk
normally silent except for breeding season kac-kac-kac, kuck, kuck kuck, kuck
COHA call

Dark-eyed Junco
dit (repeated occasionally); smack (repeated occasionally); chipping trill (musical; tinkling)
DEJU_song_mp3 (mp3)

Downy Woodpecker
peeek (sharply) whinny

Golden-crowned Kinglet
see-see-see- (hp)
GCKI call

I hear the high-pitched call of the Golden-crowned Kinglet high in the trees but can't spot the little guy/gal.  photo by Seabarium

I hear the high-pitched call of the Golden-crowned Kinglet high in the trees but can’t spot the little guy/gal. photo by Seabarium

Hairy Woodpecker
pik (flat) whinny
HAWO call

House Sparrow
chiddik; chiddik (dry; non-musical)
HOSP call mp3

Mourning Dove
hooo-ah hoo-hoo-hoo; chirry-chirry-chirry-choreeo

Pine Grosbeak
tew tew tew, or pui-pui-pui  whistled
PIGR_flight_call_mp3

Pine Siskin
zreeeeeee! (buzzy)

Purple Finch
warbling – varied phrases; fast; lively; brief

Red-breasted Nuthatch
ank-ank-ank (nasal monotone)
RBNU_call_mp3

Red-tailed Hawk
keeeeeeeeer

Tufted Titmouse
cheeva; cheeva; cheeva fer-da; fer-da; fer-da
here; here; here peter-peter-peter-

White-breasted Nuthatch
anh-anh-anh-anh- (nasally); tooy-tooy-tooy-tooy
wee-wee-wee-wee-who-who-who-who-
WBNU call

Winter Wren
varied; complicated; bubbly and busy
WIWR call

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