Nocturnal Birds?
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Joe B.
Sep 14, 2011, 6:57:00 AM9/14/11
to Maine birds
Greetings,
As you will find with my description with what I am hearing at
night, you will appreciate that I describe myself as a beginner at
best when it comes to birding. That said, on with the description.
For almost a month now (mid August and still presently) I have heard
what I presume to be a bird at almost all hours of the night (heard
most commonly between hours 2200-0300). Having heard and appreciating
the sounds of a whip-poor-will in the past, I feel like it isn't that
as the sound I hear does not undulate like the whip-poor-will but
rather is at the same pitch and tone for every call, roughly the same
pitch of the whip and will portions of the whip-poor-will call,
although the quality is the same and doesn't differ in sound (as with
the whip-poor-will). Each call/sound lasts about a half second, and
each subsequent call is the same as the previous. I've heard the call
in as few as 3 calls in a row to as many as what I feel was about 8
calls in a row before the bird would take a noticeable break before
starting again.
The other day, I thought I may have heard the same bird during day
hours (is that even possible?), but presume it is likely a different
bird that sounds similarly during day hours (When it comes to bird
sounds, I am quite novice).
As for location, I am literally on the Auburn/Turner boarder, and
literally a stones throw away from the Chick-a-dee restaurant in
Turner.
Believe it or not, I feel like I am just hearing it now as I finish
writing this at 0700, and maybe I can put a sighting to the bird.
Thanks for any and all help in trying to get an identification to this
bird!
-Joe
As you will find with my description with what I am hearing at
night, you will appreciate that I describe myself as a beginner at
best when it comes to birding. That said, on with the description.
For almost a month now (mid August and still presently) I have heard
what I presume to be a bird at almost all hours of the night (heard
most commonly between hours 2200-0300). Having heard and appreciating
the sounds of a whip-poor-will in the past, I feel like it isn't that
as the sound I hear does not undulate like the whip-poor-will but
rather is at the same pitch and tone for every call, roughly the same
pitch of the whip and will portions of the whip-poor-will call,
although the quality is the same and doesn't differ in sound (as with
the whip-poor-will). Each call/sound lasts about a half second, and
each subsequent call is the same as the previous. I've heard the call
in as few as 3 calls in a row to as many as what I feel was about 8
calls in a row before the bird would take a noticeable break before
starting again.
The other day, I thought I may have heard the same bird during day
hours (is that even possible?), but presume it is likely a different
bird that sounds similarly during day hours (When it comes to bird
sounds, I am quite novice).
As for location, I am literally on the Auburn/Turner boarder, and
literally a stones throw away from the Chick-a-dee restaurant in
Turner.
Believe it or not, I feel like I am just hearing it now as I finish
writing this at 0700, and maybe I can put a sighting to the bird.
Thanks for any and all help in trying to get an identification to this
bird!
-Joe
Julie Krasne
Sep 14, 2011, 8:53:38 AM9/14/11
to Joe B., Maine birds
I'm certainly not an accomplished birder, but I'm wondering if what you heard might have been a White- throated Sparrow? When we were camping in Quebec in August, a
White-throated Sparrow woke me up all through the night. Sometimes I'd
only hear the "can-a-da can-a da" portion of the call, which is all at
one pitch.
Julie Krasne
Yarmouth
Julie Krasne
Yarmouth
--
Maine birds mailing list
maine...@googlegroups.com
http://groups.google.com/group/maine-birds
https://sites.google.com/site/birding207
Bruce Bartrug
Sep 14, 2011, 10:00:30 AM9/14/11
to maine...@googlegroups.com
Joe,
You might listen here to the calls of the saw-whet owl, not a terribly uncommon bird in Maine: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Saw-whet_Owl/sounds
Also, you might check with a southern Maine herpetologist, perhaps at Colby?, for sounds of frogs and toads. Some tree frogs make great imitations of bird sounds :).
Good luck, and let us know what you find,
BAB
--
Bruce Bartrug
Nobleboro, Maine, USA
bbar...@gmail.com
www.brucebartrug.com
The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. - Albert Einstein
You might listen here to the calls of the saw-whet owl, not a terribly uncommon bird in Maine: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Saw-whet_Owl/sounds
Also, you might check with a southern Maine herpetologist, perhaps at Colby?, for sounds of frogs and toads. Some tree frogs make great imitations of bird sounds :).
Good luck, and let us know what you find,
BAB
Bruce Bartrug
Nobleboro, Maine, USA
bbar...@gmail.com
www.brucebartrug.com
The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. - Albert Einstein
Joe B.
Sep 14, 2011, 11:09:19 AM9/14/11
to Maine birds
Thank you for differing suggestions/possibilities. However, I may be
able to offer a little bit more with regards to the call this animal
makes (now that I am not even confident it's a bird anymore, as I will
need to now likely look into the possibility of a frog/toad!) The
call/sound is something like a "tweep" "heap" "heat" or "sweet". As
the animal calls it sounds like it does start at a mid to high pitch
and then by the end of the sound the pitch is slightly higher. My
thought/guess (based on listening to recordings of Saw-whet Owl) is
that this animal is not a Saw-whet Owl. My rationale is that in
listening to the recordings of the Saw-whet, it really doesn't have a
break in it's call, until it takes a sustained break. The sound that
I am hearing is more like a "heap"-break in call (about a second or
so)-"heap"-break-"heap"... and it sounds like that from anywhere from
3 "heap"s, up to about 8 "heap"s, and then it will take a prolonged
break before starting again.
I do have an Audubon Guide on my phone that has calls/sounds that
birds make. Perhaps someone can direct me to a list of nocturnal
birds in the area or literally provide me with a list of nocturnal
birds and I can cross check the sounds with what I am hearing here.
Per a suggestion, I will try and record the sound that I am hearing,
so that you can all hear what I'm hearing and put a stop to my
guesswork.
Thanks again everyone!
-Joe
On Sep 14, 10:00 am, Bruce Bartrug <bbart...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Joe,
>
> You might listen here to the calls of the saw-whet owl, not a terribly
> uncommon bird in Maine:http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Saw-whet_Owl/sounds
>
> Also, you might check with a southern Maine herpetologist, perhaps at
> Colby?, for sounds of frogs and toads. Some tree frogs make great
> imitations of bird sounds :).
>
> Good luck, and let us know what you find,
> BAB
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 14, 2011 at 8:53 AM, Julie Krasne <jkraz1...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > I'm certainly not an accomplished birder, but I'm wondering if what you
> > heard might have been a White- throated Sparrow? When we were camping in
> > Quebec in August, a White-throated Sparrow woke me up all through the
> > night. Sometimes I'd only hear the "can-a-da can-a da" portion of the
> > call, which is all at one pitch.
> > Julie Krasne
> > Yarmouth
>
> bbart...@gmail.comwww.brucebartrug.com
able to offer a little bit more with regards to the call this animal
makes (now that I am not even confident it's a bird anymore, as I will
need to now likely look into the possibility of a frog/toad!) The
call/sound is something like a "tweep" "heap" "heat" or "sweet". As
the animal calls it sounds like it does start at a mid to high pitch
and then by the end of the sound the pitch is slightly higher. My
thought/guess (based on listening to recordings of Saw-whet Owl) is
that this animal is not a Saw-whet Owl. My rationale is that in
listening to the recordings of the Saw-whet, it really doesn't have a
break in it's call, until it takes a sustained break. The sound that
I am hearing is more like a "heap"-break in call (about a second or
so)-"heap"-break-"heap"... and it sounds like that from anywhere from
3 "heap"s, up to about 8 "heap"s, and then it will take a prolonged
break before starting again.
I do have an Audubon Guide on my phone that has calls/sounds that
birds make. Perhaps someone can direct me to a list of nocturnal
birds in the area or literally provide me with a list of nocturnal
birds and I can cross check the sounds with what I am hearing here.
Per a suggestion, I will try and record the sound that I am hearing,
so that you can all hear what I'm hearing and put a stop to my
guesswork.
Thanks again everyone!
-Joe
On Sep 14, 10:00 am, Bruce Bartrug <bbart...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Joe,
>
> You might listen here to the calls of the saw-whet owl, not a terribly
> uncommon bird in Maine:http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Saw-whet_Owl/sounds
>
> Also, you might check with a southern Maine herpetologist, perhaps at
> Colby?, for sounds of frogs and toads. Some tree frogs make great
> imitations of bird sounds :).
>
> Good luck, and let us know what you find,
> BAB
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 14, 2011 at 8:53 AM, Julie Krasne <jkraz1...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > I'm certainly not an accomplished birder, but I'm wondering if what you
> > heard might have been a White- throated Sparrow? When we were camping in
> > Quebec in August, a White-throated Sparrow woke me up all through the
> > night. Sometimes I'd only hear the "can-a-da can-a da" portion of the
> > call, which is all at one pitch.
> > Julie Krasne
> > Yarmouth
>
Down East Nature Tours
Sep 14, 2011, 1:15:38 PM9/14/11
to Joe B., Maine Birds
Hello Joe, ( and SORRY to the list serve for the posts today... I have used
up my limit but this has been a question for me for years and I would love
an answer)
up my limit but this has been a question for me for years and I would love
an answer)
I am hearing these all the time, throughout the evening and daytime, at my
place and throughout the woods. I am sure that they are FROGS.... I am not
sure which species and I am also listening to the calls and we definitely
need a knowledgeable Herpetologist to help answer this question.... I think
they are possibly Wood Frog or Tree frogs.... BUT I have been wondering
about these calls for many years and have asked a local Herpetologist at the
collage and he has always said "Spring Peepers" but I am not
convinced...... These are definitely FROGS not birds and this time of year
they are calling throughout the evening... and they always wake me up at
every hour of the night.... we can go off line with this but I would love
an answer short of spending the next many nights in the woods...
They are definitely UPLAND frogs ... I think and have ruled out Leopard and
Pickerel frog...... and spring peeper??
I am very sorry to bother the list serve with this but we may be onto a
great mystery of mine... Thank you for your collected efforts
Michael
Ann
Sep 14, 2011, 1:28:01 PM9/14/11
to Joe B., Maine birds
Joe I am sitting here at my desk at work and am listening to what I believe is your bird from the woods across from rte 1 in Hancock. It is a 4-5 repeat of what sounds to me like sweet- sweet- sweet- sweet then a pause for several seconds maybe a minute or two then repeated. No inflection fairly high pitch. Makes me want to get up and wall over closer but my boss would probably frown on it. Ann W
rojolane
Sep 14, 2011, 3:11:19 PM9/14/11
to in...@downeastnaturetours.com, baio...@gmail.com, maine...@googlegroups.com
I live in Auburn and this has been a record year in my neighborhood for Frogs and Toads...
Baby toads in the yard etc.... I have heard both american toads and Gray tree frogs (whioch I used to think were birds calling...)
Best Regards,
Roberta Lane Auburn Back Yard.
Trevor B Persons
Sep 14, 2011, 5:14:35 PM9/14/11
to maine...@googlegroups.com
I guess since my email signature says "Herpetology" I should jump in. I would agree with Michael's local herpetologist that these are almost certainly Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer---or in field books PSCR, as herpetologists are so snobby they alpha code the scientific names...). After breeding in wetlands in spring, lone peepers are spread out all over the landscape, and not infrequently call any time day or night. These single peeper calls are a good way to calibrate our ears for nocturnal migrant Swainson's Thrushes!
Trevor
********************************************************
Trevor Persons, Herpetology
USGS Southwest Biological Science Center
Colorado Plateau Research Station, Flagstaff, AZ
CURRENT ADDRESS:
Trevor Persons
206 Bigelow Hill Road
Norridgewock, Maine 04957
(207) 634-2280
________________________________________
From: maine...@googlegroups.com [maine...@googlegroups.com] on behalf of Down East Nature Tours [in...@downeastnaturetours.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 1:15 PM
To: Joe B.
Cc: Maine Birds
Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] Re: Nocturnal Birds?
Hello Joe, ( and SORRY to the list serve for the posts today... I have used
Norman Famous
Sep 14, 2011, 6:05:58 PM9/14/11
to Down East Nature Tours, Joe B., Maine Birds
Hi all,
I started this response earlier today but my Internet froze and I forgot to finish it.
Frogs are relevant to discussion especially if they are being confused with birds or complicate bird identification.
Spring peepers vocalize all over the place in late summer and fall, as pointed out by Trevor (whose post reminded me to edit and finish these comments), from mid to late August all the way into and sometimes through November, depending on the local micro-climate conditions. I cannot recall but they probably give calls all through early August. These late summer and fall calls are different from their typical breeding season vocalizations.
I have heard them as late as early December in Cutler during several mild falls. In fact, I conducted fall migration area-search bird counts for five years in coastal eastern Maine that finished in November. I welcomed peeper notes, crickets and grasshoppers noises as the survey areas could be very quiet bird-wise later in the season. Peeper fall calls do not sound like their typical breeding notes. They are often two-noted and often include a short trill. Someone else may be able to describe them better. I do not recall if their fall vocalizations are on the Amphibians of Maine CD.
I would be interested in hearing from other observers if you have been hearing typical breeding season trills from gray tree frogs throughout August and September? I do not recall hearing them in the past after mid August. I have been hearing gray tree frogs daily throughout August and September, both here in Augusta as well as in Indian Township, Centerville, Tomhegan Township and elsewhere. Also, I heard them in mid April in Augusta the last two years and in late April before that. When I moved to Augusta in 2000, they were not typically heard until late in the first week of May, sometimes a few days later. I am fortunate to have a large gray tree frog and spring peeper breeding area about 100 meters behind my house.
Listening from Augusta,
Norm Famous
I use GRTF and SPPE (or sometimes PEEP) as a code on field sheets. I do not know if 'herpites' have their own alpha code for amphibians and other herps.
Norman Famous, Wetlands and Wildlife Ecologist
513 Eight Rod Road
Augusta, ME 04330
Judith & Reid Scher
Sep 14, 2011, 7:39:00 PM9/14/11
to Trevor B Persons, maine...@googlegroups.com
I am very glad to learn this. I have often heard the lone off-season peeper and wondered.
Judy Scher
From: Trevor B Persons <Trevor....@nau.edu>
To: "maine...@googlegroups.com" <maine...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 5:14 PM
Subject: RE: [Maine-birds] Re: Nocturnal Birds?
Joe B.
Sep 15, 2011, 3:16:26 AM9/15/11
to Maine birds
All,
I have two recordings, video recordings from my phone, you won't see
anything (except my front lawn for the day recording) but you can hear
the sounds in question. One during day ~1400 EST, and one during
night approximately midnight. My question, where can I post these
videos so that they may be analyzed for the sounds? The day recording
has two calls in question, and I think more and more it is a bird
because while my camera did not move, the second call (very faint,
turn your speakers to the MAX!) was much fainter. The night
recording, I am very willing to concede frog/toad and you can hear
it's call loud and clear several times over. However, first, I need
direction as to where I can post, send these videos for analysis.
Thanks everyone, and glad I sparked such an interesting topic!
-Joe
On Sep 14, 7:39 pm, Judith & Reid Scher <rsche...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I am very glad to learn this. I have often heard the lone off-season peeper and wondered.
> Judy Scher
>
> ________________________________
> From: Trevor B Persons <Trevor.Pers...@nau.edu>
> maine-birds@googlegroups.comhttp://groups.google.com/group/maine-birdshttps://sites.google.com/site/birding207
I have two recordings, video recordings from my phone, you won't see
anything (except my front lawn for the day recording) but you can hear
the sounds in question. One during day ~1400 EST, and one during
night approximately midnight. My question, where can I post these
videos so that they may be analyzed for the sounds? The day recording
has two calls in question, and I think more and more it is a bird
because while my camera did not move, the second call (very faint,
turn your speakers to the MAX!) was much fainter. The night
recording, I am very willing to concede frog/toad and you can hear
it's call loud and clear several times over. However, first, I need
direction as to where I can post, send these videos for analysis.
Thanks everyone, and glad I sparked such an interesting topic!
-Joe
On Sep 14, 7:39 pm, Judith & Reid Scher <rsche...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I am very glad to learn this. I have often heard the lone off-season peeper and wondered.
> Judy Scher
>
> ________________________________
> To: "maine...@googlegroups.com" <maine...@googlegroups.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 5:14 PM
> Subject: RE: [Maine-birds] Re: Nocturnal Birds?
>
> I guess since my email signature says "Herpetology" I should jump in. I would agree with Michael's local herpetologist that these are almost certainly Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer---or in field books PSCR, as herpetologists are so snobby they alpha code the scientific names...). After breeding in wetlands in spring, lone peepers are spread out all over the landscape, and not infrequently call any time day or night. These single peeper calls are a good way to calibrate our ears for nocturnal migrant Swainson's Thrushes!
>
> Trevor
>
> ********************************************************
> Trevor Persons, Herpetology
> USGS Southwest Biological Science Center
> Colorado Plateau Research Station, Flagstaff, AZ
>
> CURRENT ADDRESS:
>
> Trevor Persons
> 206 Bigelow Hill Road
> Norridgewock, Maine 04957
> (207) 634-2280
> ________________________________________
> From: maine...@googlegroups.com [maine...@googlegroups.com] on behalf of Down East Nature Tours [i...@downeastnaturetours.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 5:14 PM
> Subject: RE: [Maine-birds] Re: Nocturnal Birds?
>
> I guess since my email signature says "Herpetology" I should jump in. I would agree with Michael's local herpetologist that these are almost certainly Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer---or in field books PSCR, as herpetologists are so snobby they alpha code the scientific names...). After breeding in wetlands in spring, lone peepers are spread out all over the landscape, and not infrequently call any time day or night. These single peeper calls are a good way to calibrate our ears for nocturnal migrant Swainson's Thrushes!
>
> Trevor
>
> ********************************************************
> Trevor Persons, Herpetology
> USGS Southwest Biological Science Center
> Colorado Plateau Research Station, Flagstaff, AZ
>
> CURRENT ADDRESS:
>
> Trevor Persons
> 206 Bigelow Hill Road
> Norridgewock, Maine 04957
> (207) 634-2280
> ________________________________________
>
> --
> Maine birds mailing list
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>
> --
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> Maine birds mailing list
Lynn Havsall
Sep 15, 2011, 6:21:31 AM9/15/11
to Joe B., Maine birds
Hi guys,
You are hearing what I like to call "fall" peepers. It is lone male
spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) trying out their voice. It is not
known why they do this, and since both owls and bats hunt by ear, it
doesn't seem like a good idea to me! Here's a phenology site that
mentions it: http://www.usanpn.org/Pseudacris_crucifer
You are hearing what I like to call "fall" peepers. It is lone male
spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) trying out their voice. It is not
known why they do this, and since both owls and bats hunt by ear, it
doesn't seem like a good idea to me! Here's a phenology site that
mentions it: http://www.usanpn.org/Pseudacris_crucifer
Don't feel bad thinking they were birds. In college as a biology
student I lost a bet to an ornithologist that the nocturnal trill we
were hearing was a bird. Amazingly we found the songster, a lovely
gray tree frog, Hyla versicolor.
Lynn
Down East Nature Tours
Sep 15, 2011, 10:02:26 PM9/15/11
to Lynn Havsall, Joe B., Maine birds
OK I guess I should believe my local herpetologist and thank you to Trevor
and Norm for clarification... I am feeling much better now!!
and Norm for clarification... I am feeling much better now!!
And thanks to Joe for bringing this up and not being intimidated for doing
so......
Michael
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