What my neighbour is teaching me about birds
Top photo: Crossbill (vocal type unknown), Bashkino, Moscow region, Russia. 17th November 2007. Sergey Yeliseev.
Bird sound is a fascinating aspect of our interest in birds. The longer I have been birding the more I realise that the majority of the time, it is bird calls and song that attract my attention, often well before the visual stimulus. Last week I recorded several different Crossbill vocal types locally to me. Parakeet Crossbill, British Crossbill and Glip Crossbill were all heard and confirmed by sonogram. In North American there are another 9 vocal types, which it is argued may well behave and should be regarded as full species. My 3 Crossbill types were, intriguingly, all in distinct groups. Recording bird sound is relatively new to me- indeed a whole world of discovery!
Recording of a flock of ‘Glip Crossbills‘ (long vertical tick shapes) with a Red Grouse calling in background (double row of dark blobs at lower pitch), near Sheffield UK, November 2010
I never know where new learning is going to come from. There are only 16 houses on my road, and I suppose I thought of myself as the ‘bird expert’ of the street. Indeed I assumed there were no other birders on the street. Little did I know! Last summer 2 of my neighbours, Geoff and Corolla, to my complete surprise, invited me to go and for an evening walk to look for Nightjars. Nightjars! I am the streets only birder! I had no idea they would have even heard of a Nightjar, never mind know where to stake one out.
Having been surprised once, I still wasn’t expecting last weeks conversation. Geoff came over as I got out of my car to tell me about his favourite bird song. Robin? Nightingale? No. Musician Wren.
Musician Wren? I am sure Gunnar knows about this South America species, but I had never heard of it. Geoff’s favourite bird song and he guided me to have a listen to it on Xeno-Canto (bird sound website). By now I was floored.
Well hats off to Geoff and a rebuke to me for my ignorant assumptions about my neighbours. It’s clear that the more I learn the more I realise how little I know – about both birds and my neighbours!
Just in case you have never heard the song of a Musician Wren, it is pretty cool. Have a listen and see why Geoff likes it.
https://www.xeno-canto.org/recording.php?XC=9111
And my favourite bird sound ever? Have a look at this:
very cool post and that musician wren has a wonderful forest bird call. I am sure it carries a long way. it reminds me of some of the southern african robin chats
Martin, I’ve heard Musician Wren. August 2006, we were walking the Tinamou Trail at Pantiacolla Lodge in Manu, it was just after a cold weather system had passed through the lowlands and the birding had unfortunately slowed down a bit. We were heading back to the lodge for some breakfast when I was certain I heard one singing distantly. It was pretty faint, so we gave it a quick blast of playback, and about 30 seconds later it had moved really close and sang for ages. Never managed to see it, but that just didn’t matter. Fantastic song.