Hi all, I don’t know much at all about birding but since I started working from home I have managed to id some of the birds in my backyard and have come to notice their routines, it has been quite fascinating. I am hoping someone can id a bird call.
We live in south-east Melbourne. This year, over the last two or so months we have heard a very ‘loud’ bird early in the morning from about 6am (and occasionally mid-morning) with a distinctive call (deep-sounding whistle) but we haven’t seen it. I have not heard it here before. I have finally managed to record it, albeit from inside the house next to an open window, but have realised that I can’t upload the audio here, so here goes attempt at explaining it – the notes descend and in following way – bop, bop bop bop, bop bop. Sometimes it doesn’t finish the last two ‘bops’ or they are slow to follow. We have nicknamed it ‘the happy birthday bird’ as the pattern? of the call, although descending, sounds a little like the song esp with last two notes.
Sounds like;
1. Willie Wagtail (they sing a whistling tune)
2. Eastern Spinebill (evenly spaced quick descending, bip, bip, bip-bip-bip-bip-bip...)
3. Something else like a Spotted Pardalote or Eastern Yellow Robin.
Hope I've helped and sorry for the crap descriptions of calls!
Cheers, Owen.
Thanks very much Owen1. I have managed to upload it to youtube today. It's very soft/quiet as recorded from inside house, but if you listen closely you can hear some of the regular backyard birds, just to get an idea of how loud it actually is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2rsdJGFO-Y
Have noticed a grey butcherbird about lately but its call seems a little more complicated than the mystery bird, which I have also noticed has been less frequent this week.
Sounds like a Grey Butcherbird now like you said. They do simple calls as well as more complicated ones.
Cheers, Owen.
Thanks heaps Owen. I finally managed to catch a glimpse of it yesterday from underneath as it flew off and I'm pretty convinced too now it is a Grey Butcher Bird. You have confirmed my research, ss you have said, they seem to have quite a range of calls. This bird watching can become quite addictive, but I guess you all know that already!