Any ideas what this bird is?

Can anyone please help identify the bird that you can hear at 3 seconds and 11 seconds in on the audio?

It was taken in the mid afternoon in a wooded area of Arlington reservoir.

Thanks.Unknown bird - Arlington Reservoir.m4a

  • Hi Paul, 

    Initially, I couldn't hear a thing even with my speakers turned right up. However, I like a challenge so I amplified your clip in Audacity. Of course it increased the background noise but at least I could hear something. This is what I got.

    I think there's a Blackbird singing throughout most of the clip and I think a Chiffchaff near the start. I couldn't pick out anything specific at the times you mentioned. However, there's an almost continuous clamour from start to finish which sounds to me like a juvenile calling. Was this what you were referring to?

    My guess is that it's a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker begging to be fed. Check out this excellent video from member  "Watch the Birdie" which sounds pretty close to me. What do you think?

  • Hi Tony,

    Thank you for coming back to me so quickly. You know I think you are right!
    Yes, my reference points were where the specific call starts, but as you say it is more a case of fairly continuous with a pause part way through.

    Interesting that you say that you couldn't hear anything on my clip because my dad said the exact same thing even with his speakers turned right up when I emailed it to him three weeks ago. (To me your amplified clip is exactly as I hear my original clip.) My dad is a keen birder and I grew up with the same love for birds and wildlife, however it is only in the last five years or so that I have started to rediscover the joy of birds.

    Also worth noting is that for a few weeks running around the time of the recording, my family and I had heard Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming in those exact woods so that answers that. I hadn't heard young woodpeckers before so had no idea!

    I really appreciate your help Tony - I knew if I signed up to this community someone would know!
    Thanks again,

    Paul
  • Hi Tony,

    I did post a longer reply earlier with a bit more detail in it, but it seems to have been taken down for some reason. (Maybe as a newbie only signed up to the community this afternoon they want to check it?)
    So, a short reply just to say thanks for the swift response, and yes you appear to be right when suggesting Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpeckers.
    (Hopefully my longer reply will appear once it has been looked at.)

    Thanks again,

    Paul