Mystery solved at least for 4-16-10 call because I actually heard it around dusk tonight near the same location I recorded it. White-tailed Deer! Maybe that's why it sounded so familiar. I startled a deer and it gave a couple typical snorts and as it bounded away at a good clip gave the other call I recorded last year. Guess this also explains the moving nature of sound.
Thanks to those who responded either on the list or directly to me. Your suggestions that the call may have been mammalian in nature were correct. Andy Martin Gaithersburg, MD www.nightmigrants.com On Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 4:56 PM, Magnus Robb <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Andy, you are certainly not the only one with a 'mystery call' file. I > record a high percentage of mystery calls here in Portugal. Many of them > seem to be one-offs, calls that I never recorded before and perhaps never > will again. One possibility is that they are species that very rarely give a > night flight call, and don't use the same call by day. More likely, they are > unusual variant calls of species that often call at night. When I think I > have solved some of these mysteries, that's almost invariably what they seem > to be. Others may not be birds at all. Black Rats unfortunately have a large > repertoire of vaguely bird-like sounds, for example... > > Regarding your two mystery sounds, I'm certainly not the best person to > comment being a European, and I'm not sure about either of them! However, > the first sounds to me like a medium to large ungulate or other mammal. I > don't know what's possible in your area. The second one doesn't ring any > bell for me but that's hardly surprising. Somebody who lives a bit closer > may be able to help. > > all the best, > > Magnus Robb > > > > On 25 Sep 2011, at 17:42:50, Andy Martin wrote: > > Attached are 2 calls I'm having a bit of trouble with. > > First one recorded on 4-16-10 after 3 AM, sounds so familiar but I just > cannot place it. Feel like I have heard it somewhere before. Almost like > when someone's name is stuck on the tip of your tongue and your brain just > can't produce it. Tried to match it up to Great Blue Heron or possibly > Great > Horned Owl "harnk" call but none of variations of these calls sounded > right. > Not even sure if the GHO "harnk" call is given in flight and recorded call > does sound as if its coming closer to the mic. > > 2nd call recorded on 3-27-07 around 11:20 PM, is just a single "burp like" > bark. Seemingly different than usual herons at this time of year for my > location (Great Blue or American Bittern). Is it possible this might be a > Hooded Merganser? > > After 4-5 years of recording, hope I am not the only NFC enthusiast with a > folder on my computer entitled "mystery calls" that seems to get a little > bit bigger each year. On a positive note, while recently going through my > mystery call folder, found and ID'ed a couple recordings of Yellow-crowned > Night-Heron and a Virginia Rail. > > Thanks for any help. > > Andy Martin > Gaithersburg, MD > www.nightmigrants.com > -- > *NFC-L List Info:* > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NFC_WELCOME> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NFC_RULES> > Subscribe, Configuration and > Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/NFC-L_SubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > *Archives:* > The Mail Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NFC-L> > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NFCL.html> > *Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/> > !* > -- > <041610,341AMver2.wav><032707,1121PM.wav> > > > -- NFC-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NFC_WELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NFC_RULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NFC-L_SubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NFC-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NFCL.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
