Birdsong ID

Hi folks,

I'd be very grateful if someone could identify this birdsong:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S5h2ccHmexikGvLbYwILSGh1IK_6H3Ry/view?usp=sharing

Thanks for listening!

Chris

  • Think you may have to wait for TJ to hear this, he's really very good at birdsong ID!
  • WendyBartter said:
    Think you may have to wait for TJ to hear this

    You called?

    Best I can come up with is the "wittering" call of a Little Grebe. However I've never heard one make short calls in quick succession like that. Here's what they normally sound like.

    Patrik Åberg, XC26930. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/26930

    It always helps if you say where (roughly) you heard it and what the habitat was like.

  • Ooooh, they are loud! Well done TJ, knew you'd come up with something!
  • Yes, but I'm not confident. It could be something completely different.
  • Hi again all,

    Thanks so much for the replies so far.

    We're in mixed woodland in Galloway, south-west Scotland and are very lucky to have an abundance of bird life around us. We have a nearby burn, various ponds and we're two miles from Loch Ken.

    This birdsong always appears at this time of year here - although I'd assumed it's just a seasonal song for a permanent resident.

    A friend of a friend has suggested that:

    "Just thought, something about the rhythm and ‘colour’ make me think great tit. They’re notorious for doing weird variations on their songs that flummox birders more experienced than me."

    We certainly have an abundance of great tits here and this recording is in the right ballpark:

    youtu.be/qFgoBVaj23I

    [from 3min45s to 3min56s]

    But there's a precision and almost digital characteristic to the song in my own recording which I think sets it aside somewhat.

    I'm going to try to identify it visually this week.

    Any other thoughts and suggestion are very welcome!

    Thanks again,

    Chris
  • I'm far from an expert, I've not even got to the novice stage!

    My first thoughts was one of the tit family. With you being near woodland, made me think possibly long tail tit alarm call.

    https://www.british-birdsongs.uk/northern-long-tailed-tit/?type1600

    If not that, have a listen around the British Bird Songs site. They're not all exact, but may give you some idea.

  • Like TJ i thought at first it was a  Little Grebe but listening again I don't think so but I've not really got a better suggestion unless it is one of the 30 odd Great Tit songs.

  • Thanks again folks for your suggestions!

    Between here and Twitter - the great tit and long-tailed tit both have a couple of backers - I've never seen a long-tailed tit here, but the great tits are here in numbers so I guess they're the current favourite.

    I'd still like to hear a recording of something sounding like it - and I'm still trying to ID it visually.

    In the meantime - thanks again!

    Chris