Hi, I heard this yesterday evening (7.20 pm) in the middle of a fairly large patch of woodland on the Isle of Wight. I can't place it at all - I'm not even sure if it's a bird or not! Does anybody have any idea what it is?
I'm talking about the whistling/wailing noise, not the chiffchaff or goldfinches, in case that's not obvious!
Weird noise.m4a
Weird noise 3.m4a
So I went back this evening, and I heard it again! Almost exactly the same time.
Unfortunately I only heard it once, so didn't have any luck trying to get closer to the source. So I'm not sure if this recording is any better. You can hear my footsteps as I try and get closer and the chiffchaffs didn't co-operate. But here it is, just in case anyone hears anything familiar in this one.
Here's an edit of this latest recording -
Play this audio clip
Hmmm - still very odd, but I'm starting to think it could possibly be an audible bird scarer.
Bird scarers use distress calls or raptor calls to deter certain birds and they can be played at regular times - you say 'almost exactly the same time' - although many also play sounds randomly.
Because this seems to play at a certain time then it could possibly be an audible device that is preventing roosting - hence the time of evening.