ML161073
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Subject 1: (Interview). Subtitle: Randy Little, Alex Chadwick. Timecode In: 00:14:55. Timecode out: 00:48:21. Notes: Habitat, dawn chorus, field recording discussions. Includes unidentified voices. Subject 2: Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber). Timecode In: 01:25:21. Timecode out: 01:27:15. Behaviors: mechanical sound. Subject 3: (Interview). Subtitle: Gregory Budney. Timecode In: 01:28:20. Timecode out: 01:30:19. Notes: Field recording discussion. Equipment Notes: Decoded MS stereo. Elevation: 2060 m. Show: LNS Log of DAT #:4 Engineer: Fox Date: June 4, 2001 0-9:48 very quiet, some sounds of movement, the microphones gets bumped every once in a while; 9:48-12:36 some whispering and chat, often indiscernible 12:36 A car engine starts up and a car drives away. 12:36-14:55 chat 14:55-16:26 uv This morning we're in Bear Trap meadow which is a high coniferous surrounded valley with alders down the center that are attractive to certain species such as the Wilson Warbler, the McGillery's Warbler, the Lincoln Sparrow. In the conifers on the edges are great numbers of the dark eyed juncos, which out here are the what use dot be called Oregon junco. I just heard a fox sparrow sing. There are casin finches that have been in the treetops of the conifers. A chipping sparrow is singing off to the left. It's a great mix of species in here ad that owes primarily to the fact that there is a small brook that runs down the center of the valley that not only nourishes the plants but all the insects that feed on those plants that the birds feed on. A couple of species that I haven't heard yet this morning are specifically the insects feeders, the flycatchers. There's dusky flycatcher and Hammond's flycatcher, both in this habitat. The Hammond's liking the tall conifers more; the duskies liking the edge, second-growth. If there were any Aspen groves in here that's where they would be. 16:31-16:50 uv Bear Trap meadow, geographically, is north of Huba Pass by about three miles and at about the same elevation which is 6700 feet. 16:51 Carolyn What is the dawn chorus and why are the birds singing in the morning? 16:54-19:00 uv There's considerable latitude of explanation of why, but what is, I think, more explainable. At the first light of day the birds that have been sleeping most of the night are sort of flexing their muscles getting ready for the day. It's not light enough to be foraging profitably. A lot of the insects that they might feed on are not particularly active. So it seems to the time to proclaim a new day , proclaim their presence, their territory if they're on their breeding range. In territorial proclamation the birds tends to be doing two things at once with its advertisement, its song. One is, it's primarily males that sing, one is saying to males "Stay away. This is my piece of turf."Simultaneously proclaiming to females, potential mates, "Come on join me. This is ideal real estate."In so doing they're liable to move around the perimeter of their territory, moving from one favorite song perch to another, which we can use to our advantage by setting up at one of these favorite song perches, nice and close, concealing ourselves, making ourselves part of the habitat, and just waiting for the bird to come to us. That generally yields much better results than chasing the bird and trying to catch up with it, which usually fails and frequently also causes the bird to alter it's behavior and maybe go to giving annoyance calls instead of song. 19:01-20:07 uv As to the fact that we call it a dawn chorus, it is a of ____ duration that this burst of song activity occurs just as twilight, beginning at twilight and ending at official sunrise, when the sun is actually up the dawn chorus is over. Birds are probably feeding, but then will have a second burst of vocal activity... (Notes truncated)
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Archival information
- Cataloged
- 7 May 2010 - David McCartt
- Digitized
- 7 May 2010 - David McCartt
- Edited
- 7 May 2010 - David McCartt