ML421753701
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
- Playback
- Not specified
Observation details
Continuing bird first seen the previous day around 11:15 on the East Bank side of the Tombigbee Waterway Lock and Dam and later on the West Bank side. I just happened upon the bird again about 5 p.m. today in the park area near the Overlook when I heard a rattle coming from an area near the bottom east side of the Overlook hill. I thought it sounded similar to the rattles I had heard the Western make the previous day, so I slowly pulled my car over to that area and scanned the hillside through the window looking for the bird. I located it fairly quickly as it foraged in the low vegetation not very far up the side of the hill and saw that its plumage did appear a fairly light gray-brown as the Western Meadowlark had the previous day. As I followed it I finally got a look at it from the side and could see the yellow malar typical of a Western starting into breeding plumage. It continued making the rattling call occasionally and I heard a "chup" or "chuck" sounding note preceding its rattle a couple of times and at least once a rapid "chup, chup, chup" that ended the rattle. I started trying to record the sounds and finally it sang 3 or 4 times but by that time there was a Mockingbird that had moved closer and was singing constantly, and it is difficult to hear the Meadowlark's song in the background on my recording. It was a short version of its song starting with 3 or 4 whistling notes then ending with a gurgling sound typical of a Western. I also heard occasionally a clear one note, downslurred whistle from the Meadowlark and it can be heard on one of my recordings. I watched the Meadowlark as it foraged in the dense, low vegetation in the same approximate 10-yard area for 43 minutes. I took a lot of photos from my car window but the sun was getting low on the horizon and shining on one side of the bird while the other side was shadowed. From the photos though the light gray-brown color of the feathers can be seen, in one photo where it bends its head down the brown rather than black crown stripes can be seen, in another the very white flanks with brown streaking that looks more spotty rather than solid can be seen, and of course in some the yellow malar can be seen.
Technical information
- Recorder
- Microphone
- Accessories
- Original file size
- 659.73 KB