ML163291

Media notes

Recordist's Notes: "Spectacled Eider female and brood immediately upon release after capture by biologists. Young can be heard in first several seconds as they are being prepared for release. Splashes are of the eiders jumping back into the pond. Adult female's first call follows immediately after final re-entry splash at 0:19. Female gives two types of call, an inflected growl (distinct from both primary and secondary growls of Take 64 [LNS 163290]), and a guttural, muffled stutter. The two were usually given separately (e.g., the hen's first call at 0:19 is a stand-alone inflected growl), but twice they are given in series (stutter--growl) at 0:21 and 0:23. The intercall spacing from 0:26-0:29 (stutter, growl, stutter) seems intermediate between subsequent stand-alone calls and the two preceding series. It's likely that one or both of these call types (i.e., the inflected growl and the muffled stutter) are given in the context of gathering the ducklings back to her after the disturbance of capture and release. In this take, the ducklings give a high-pitched, but mellow, burbling twitter.".