Unusual call at Mt. Cutler, Hiram.... poss. Violaceous Jay??
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Jeff Webb
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Sep 30, 2023, 1:25:19 PM9/30/23
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to Maine Birding List
Walking my dog on a snowmobile trail between Mt. Cutler and River
Road in Hiram I heard and recorded a very unusual shrieking call which
Merlin ID'd as a Violaceous Jay! It went on loudly for several minutes
before whatever it was moved further off into the woods, where it was
and still may be audible. The call was coming from up in the trees in a
dense hilly spot, so I couldn't see anything, Initially I thought it
was a hawk but no hawk species seems to match. Blue Jays were stirred
up by whatever it was. Google Drive link for the audio file is here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n_TeXj1ej0Jn50QRjRXuSha9-IsBsYDZ/view?usp=sharing
Location
coordinates here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/yEYVpQxUwrV4iH3W9
. Maybe I'm missing something obvious so any help is appreciated. Thanks.
Jeff Webb
andrew...@gmail.com
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Oct 1, 2023, 12:40:35 PM10/1/23
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to Maine birds
I wish it were a Violaceous Jay:-) No way one would ever be found in Maine though;-) That was either a Canada Jay or Blue Jay calling.
Andrew
Sarah Caputo
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Oct 1, 2023, 7:04:35 PM10/1/23
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to andrew...@gmail.com, maine...@googlegroups.com
It sounded like something was murdering a bluejay to me!
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to Maine birds
Never say...No way one would ever be found in Maine though...
Great Black Hawk - Maine 8/9/2018 - Ebird.org
Steller's Sea-Eagle - Maine 1/3/2022 - Ebird.org
Jeff Webb
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Oct 2, 2023, 5:01:25 PM10/2/23
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to Maine Birding List
There was a Goshawk near the same spot on Sept. 24, so a Blue Jay being murdered sounds like the most probable answer. Canada Jay records are few and far between in the area, although possible. The call was unchanging, constant for about 4 minutes and definitely louder than any of the Blue Jays that were around. Listening to the recording it sounds like they're perturbed about something although if they're scolding a predator they're not as frantic as they usually sound around a hawk or owl. Scouring audio files I found no exact matches, but Merlin's suggestion of Violaceous Jay was actually the closest to my ears, which might explain the app's ID.