Marsh sounds

[Christine Murray]

I recorded this last week in a marsh in Hebron and could use some ideas: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Yt2bHpmZSieZ4gWlhwkYuA5wy1sGhWfN/view?usp=sharing. 

Veery: check. Magnolia Warbler: check. But what's that squeak toy sound about 17 seconds in? The sound was coming from low in the marsh, and pretty close.

Thanks,

Christine

[Weston Barker]

Hi Christine,

What immediately came to mind when I heard your recording is a Common Gallinule, but I have yet to explore many other options that I can think of.

[Matthew Gilbert]

I'm with Weston on this one - Common Gallinule seems right (although I'm not very great at marsh sounds). I can't think of anything else that would make that sound, especially from low in the marsh. There is also a Hairy/Downy woodpecker calling. At least on eBird, that is a first Oxford county record! Congrats!

-Matthew Gilbert

[Weston Barker]

After discussing this with Doug Hitchcox and Louis Bevier, we have come to a conclusion that what you heard were Blue Jay contact calls (others repeating the same vocalization can be heard farther off).