ML567690471
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age and sex
- Immature Unknown sex - 1
- Sounds
- Call
- Playback
- Not specified
Media notes
calling fledgling in gravel drainage, amplified by 15dB in audacity
Observation details
Whoa! Pair making agitated calls; recorded and seen. First heard song from a distance, while descending the south branch of the nature trail, along the steep banks of a gravelly gully with towering hemlock overstory. Was not expecting lowa locally and didnt have a great listen to that song, so was going to write it off as nowa, although the habitat seemed very strange (and in fact, exactly like the habitat I would see lowa in while at undergrad in Mass). On descending to the trail bottom, though, I heard a harsh, slightly metallic chipping call that I wasn’t immediately familiar with (recording). I then saw both pair members fly up from the ground, and proceed to fly perch to perch, still calling agitatedly. Of immediate note was the clean, bright white color of the undersides, with not a hint of buffy color, the clean white chin (streaks only on breast and side of belly; nowhere particularly dense), and the broad white supercilium that grew wider at the back. Otherwise, clean slightly grayish brown above (no wing bars), and pinkish legs. Both birds were constantly tail-bobbing like spotted sandpipers. Both flew off around 9:40. I waited for a while for them to return, doing some quick research for any other field marks to look for. Both adults still calling in the vicinity. By 10 I decided to continue down the trail, and I suddenly heard two more birds calling. Thinking there couldn’t possibly be a second pair so close, I crept down to the lip of the gully where one was calling from a stationary position. Finally located it—a fledgie! Tiny little puffball with no tail, just-growing primary shafts, a relatively hefty bill, and a wide white supercilium that tapered towards the lores. Got a recording of this bird’s begging calls as well. Just down the trail at 10:10, I came across the adults again, and once more got good views of the field marks noted above, esp. the eyeline widening toward the back, the clean whitebthroat, and the relatively fine, sparse breast streaking. Noted, as well, that the tail-bobbing behavior incorporated a very stark side-to-side circular motion, which Sibley online mentioned as another distinguishing field mark. Second fledgie then finally seen at this location as it hopped out from under a dry leaf pack in the streambed at 10:20: slightly larger than the first, and tail bobbing itself (more accurately, butt-bobbing!). Noted the slow downstroke and quick upstroke also mentioned as characteristic of this sp. First fledgie’s begging calls suddenly amplified in intensity and frequency for a quick burst at 10:22, indicating a feeding. Possible third fledgie. There has been a recent influx of this species into the northern midcoast (with singers on MDI and in Palermo, Waldo Co.), but I never expected to find one here. Whole family (and suitable habitat) within block boundary. Edit: 12:55 PM: if accepted this will be the furthest north confirmed record for this sp. in the atlas, and first confirmation for Hancock Co. Will be back to try and get pics--given the young still have tails and primaries to develop, I expect they'll be along the streambed for at least another week.
Technical information
- Recorder
- iphone se
- Microphone
- Accessories
- Original file size
- 3.67 MB