I've just come back from a short stay in the Luberon district of Provence. I kept hearing this amazingly rich unfamiliar bird song which projected a long way. It contained many different elements, from a very high weezing note, a sound like 'pretty, pretty, pretty, and much lower richer sounds. Frustratingly, after standing for 20 minutes with binoculars near the hedgerow from which it appeared to be coming, I didn't catch a single glimpse of the bird! I heard others in different places during my trip and the vocabulary was much the same in each case. Any ideas?
Hi Keeta
This is a pure guess but based on your description and the fact that the sound carried plus the habitat I'm wondering if it could have been a nightingale. They are very secretive birds and hard to see even when you seem to be very close to them. Have a listen to these sound clips to see what you think.
Play this audio clip
Of course there are lots other possibilities including many varieties of warblers in that part of the world but it's a start.
Regards
TJ
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I wonder if it could be a song thrush or even a blackbird.
Have you tried searching for it on the RSPB birds by Name site?
You can search for and listen to any bird song or call.
Best wishes Chris
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Hi TeeJay,
Thanks for that!
From the second one of your sound clips that is a distinct possibility! It's a very long time since I last heard a nightingale, so that didn't occur to me. I wish I had recorded the song! It was only afterwards that I thought I could have taken a video clip of the hedge & recorded the sound on my little digital camera! Wouldn't have been very interesting visually though ...
Regards,
Keeta
Keeta said: It was only afterwards that I thought I could have taken a video clip of the hedge & recorded the sound on my little digital camera! Wouldn't have been very interesting visually though ...
Funny you should mention that Keeta. Before I found out that you could post sound clips I did exactly what you were suggesting. In fact my videos of bushes have caused some amusement on this forum. LOL
Woodpecker said: Hi Keeta I wonder if it could be a song thrush or even a blackbird. Have you tried searching for it on the RSPB birds by Name site? You can search for and listen to any bird song or call. Best wishes Chris Hi Chris, No, I am very familiar with both those songs and it was different. If I'd caught a glimpse of the bird I would have had a clue where to start in the identification books! Thanks for the info about the RSPB bird song site - I hadn't tried that, good idea! Cheers, Keeta
Hi Chris,
No, I am very familiar with both those songs and it was different. If I'd caught a glimpse of the bird I would have had a clue where to start in the identification books! Thanks for the info about the RSPB bird song site - I hadn't tried that, good idea!
Cheers,
Unknown said: It was only afterwards that I thought I could have taken a video clip of the hedge & recorded the sound on my little digital camera! Wouldn't have been very interesting visually though ... Funny you should mention that Keeta. Before I found out that you could post sound clips I did exactly what you were suggesting. In fact my videos of bushes have caused some amusement on this forum. LOL Regards TJ [/quote] I'll remember what to do in future! What do you use to record your sound clips now? I haven't got any up-to-date technology. Best wishes, Keeta
It was only afterwards that I thought I could have taken a video clip of the hedge & recorded the sound on my little digital camera! Wouldn't have been very interesting visually though ...
I'll remember what to do in future! What do you use to record your sound clips now? I haven't got any up-to-date technology.
Best wishes,
The nightingale sound clips were ones that I purchased from BirdGuides although I think there are plenty of free downloads which I didn't realise at the time.
I don't record sound specifically. I would still record video either on a camcorder or on an ordinary digital camera. I have some video editing software called Cyberlink Power Director which allows you to extract the audio component of the video as an mp3 sound file. The other thing I have discovered is that there's some free software called Quick Media Converter which enables you to convert from one format to another including from typical video formats like .avi and .mpg to an mp3 sound file.
If you think I'm some sort of geek think again. I'm a silver surfer who likes to keep up with technology. If I can do it so can you. Have fun.
Oh by the way, have a listen to the blackcap song on the RSPB site. That's another possibility although it's not as loud or penetrating as the nightingale. If you were anywhere near water have a listen to cetti's warbler. That really is penetrating.
Regards TJ
I'm fairly familiar with the blackcap's song. I went on a 'dawn chorus' walk at the London Wetland Centre & we spent some time listening to blackcaps. We also heard a cetti's warbler - very loud, yes, but the song came in short bursts, not such sustained & varied singing as the bird I heard. I shall certainly try listening to more recordings of nightingales as that seems the closest so far.
(I'm also on the silver side & I try, not totally with success, not to be scared of technology! Thanks for the imput!)
We went to an organised camp site in Southern France a few years ago and were very fortunate to have a resident ornithologist at the site. He organised daily trips to look at the very rich variety of wildlife, including of course birds. Most memorable was the trip to see the vultures that roosted in a nearby valley - timed to see them start to explore the early morning thermals before leaving the valley for the day.
(Get to the point) The other memorable part of being at the camp site was all the Nightingale song we heard. From your description, I guessed Nightingale before I looked further through the thread. He did say they could be heard in Southern England, so we were very surprised to hear (and see) one singing its heart out in a valley off Monsal Dale in Derbyshire not long after our trip to France.
Hi FalcoJock,
That sounds as if it was a wonderful trip! I had only heard nightingale song twice before, and a long time ago, so that didn't come immediately to mind. From what you and others have said, though, the nightingale does seem to be the most likely candidate for the bird I was listening to.
How great to have heard one in Derbyshire! (And to have seen it!!)