ID Help, Central Texas, USA (EAR Birders) (1 Viewer)

[LaughingFalcon]

Well trying to be a better EAR birder I purchased a low end recording kit. I really don’t know what I’m doing other than trying to learn more bird songs. I figure if I hear something and I’m not sure what it is, I can figure it out later and learn the sounds along the way. This morning I was in northwest Travis County. I made a few recording, even with the high wind it’s amazing what modern technology can do to eliminate all the noise.

Anyway, I made recordings of more birds than I saw. Many of these I have a good idea of what they are, but would welcome any comments that may increase my understanding of what I think I heard. And then there are some that I just don’t know. I suppose someone not as lazy as me would spend the day listening to all his CDs and such, but not me. If you can id some of these I’d be grateful. There are a few that are just interesting, like a Field Sparrow that starts his day song, but abruptly ends and does not give the trill. Probably a young’en.

You can leave comments under the recordings or post back to the list or send me an email if you please. All comments appreciated.

I really have no idea what made this sound.
http://www.4shared.com/audio/ACJjYrQt/110528-027-01_Mystery.html

I'm pretty sure this is a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, but I did not see the bird.
http://www.4shared.com/audio/bzEXDmu-/110528-006-01_BlGrGn_Calls.html

Another Blue-gray Gnatcatcher I believe, but again I could not confirm visually.
http://www.4shared.com/audio/LmA0A_KT/110528-007-01_BlGrGn_Calls.html

There is a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher again with no visual confirmation. But there is something else that I do not recognize.
http://www.4shared.com/audio/Kr8k7N61/110528-007-02_Mystery.html

And additional feed of the same??? mystery bird a 1105280-007-02.
http://www.4shared.com/audio/lXxpZU7J/110528-008-01_Mystery.html

I believe the next three to be Bewick's Wren, but no visual confirmation. The 3rd file has a Northern Mockingbird as well.
http://www.4shared.com/audio/8oXylf-j/110528-011-01_BewWre_Songs.html

http://www.4shared.com/audio/9IBKW_aZ/110528-013-01_BewWre_Song.html

http://www.4shared.com/audio/tp5Bm3oQ/110528-017-07_BewWre_Songs.html

The next two I believe are very abruptly ending Field Sparrow song (SubSong?) but no visual confirmation.

http://www.4shared.com/audio/2h5nlx7P/110528-023-01_FieSpa_SubSong.html

http://www.4shared.com/audio/2h5nlx7P/110528-023-01_FieSpa_SubSong.html

If you care to, you can listen to all the recordings I made this morning and comment on any of them;

http://www.4shared.com/folder/y54Nc_sV/Baker_Sounds.html

BTW/ Today I had one Golden-cheeked Warbler singing his B song and 2 fledglings moving about.

Thanks!

 

[Steve Schoech]

I'll have a go with my best guesses ...
1 = western scrub-jay
2= blue-gray gnatcatcher
3= "
4 = " with scrub-jay in the background
5= western scrub-jay
6= towhee (I think you have the spotted there)
7= still the towhee?
8= same with the mocker doing a great-crested flycatcher amongst others
9 & 10 = agree with the field sparrow

 

[BuckeyeAZ]

No idea what any of these are (except that the 'wrens' sound like wrens), but...
I'd be interested in hearing exactly what your 'low end recording kit' is - cos the results from it sound easily good enough to satisfy me.
(As an aside, if a big purpose of this for you is to learn bird sounds, I think that - instead of devoting lots of field-time to recording, you'd be far better off concentrating on following up the calls in order to get identifiable views.)

 

[Steve Schoech]

the 'wrens' sound like wrens

Could well be. Haven't heard Bewick's in some time and even when I was out west it seemed as if every mystery bird song I was able to track down was a Bewick's singing yet another song type.

 

[Microtus]

My reading of the TOS Handbook of Texas Birds is that either towhee would be rather unusual in Austin in the breeding season. Plus, the Bewick's Wren recordings in the OP are Bewick's Wrens. I agree that following up an unknown song with visual confirmation is better at this stage than recording and trying to identify from that.

 

[LaughingFalcon]

Hey thanks guys for all the responses. Several folk suggested Towhee. But it is very unlikely. Towhee would indeed be extremely rare in the location at this time, and Bewick's Wren is very common there. I believe the 3rd recording I called Bewick's Wren, the one with the mockingbird, may be a Lark Sparrow however.

Consensus on the Scrub Jay's is unanimous.

I absolutely agree the best way to learn birdsongs is to watch the bird sing. And I always try to get as good a look at every bird as I can. But I don't know anyone who can get a good look at every bird they see, much less a good look at every bird they hear. And quite often it's impossible to follow a sound.

Where endangered species breed, such as the sanctuary where I made these recordings, it's against the rules, and unethical, to get off the trails. Even if there were no rules I'd have to make a lot of noise pushing all those branches and bushes to the side that I'd have to go through. And after I found a bird or two, how could I be certain it was the one I initially heard making the sound? If I didn't completely scare it out of the county that is?

Sometimes a bird is singing on a hill side on the other side of a creek? Do you see what I'm getting at?

And I can't be in the field but one, maybe two days a week. Having recordings lets me review all week, and compare to other recordings, and look at sonograms, and REALLY understand the song. This has been very helpful, especially with highly variable songsters such as the Bewick's Wren and the White-eyed Vireo.

@ Buckeye, I have a zoom H4n recorder and a ME66/K6 mike. But it's not the equipment that get's me fairly clean sounds. I look at the sonogram then use an equalizer to eliminate all noise below a point a little lower than the lowest sound the bird is making. I'm using Audacity which is a free program. And I'm using the 'draw a curve' type of EQ which let's me eliminate the noise down to almost -100db, the visual EQ only goes down to about -29db and leaves a lot of low level hiss.

Thanks again guys, much appreciation.

When the opportunity is there, I always watch the live bird sing.

 

[LaughingFalcon]

OH, and if I'm there watching the bird sing, What extra is it costing me to record while I do?

 

[Microtus]

In what habitat did you record the three different Bewick's Wrens?

 

[BuckeyeAZ]

I have a zoom H4n recorder and a ME66/K6 mike. I'm using Audacity which is a free program.

Hmm, seems your 'low end recording kit' would've cost you about USD800 and would cost me about GBP650 - which puts it well beyond my hi-end! But thanks
(I've already got my free copy of Audacity - hoorah.)

 

[LaughingFalcon]

@ Microtus; Very near the same spot, The area is dominated by Oaks, with a fair amount of Ashe Juniper, Cedar Elm, and a few other hardwoods. It is rocky (calcareous limestone) and dry. This was in a bit of an opening with brush and some cactus scattered in the grass.

@Buckeye; I think that really is the low end on recorders, I tried an AT8025 mic and had decent results, I knew I'd regret not upgrading to the ME66/K6 after trying it though. Some of the systems I looked at were in the range of more than $3K US.

 

[Microtus]

@LaughingFalcon, that sounds like better habitat for Bewick's Wren than for Lark Sparrow.

 

[LaughingFalcon]

@ Microtus; it is. Bewick's Wren is very common there, but Lark Sparrow is there as well.