Juvenile Western Screech Owl (Megascops kennicottii) vocalizations

August 10th, 2009

My friend owling friend Rudy called on July 22, 2009 and said a friend of his had begging immature western screech owls in his yard.  The area is rural western Nevada County with plenty of houses and barking dogs in among the trees of mixed oak and conifers.  We went before dusk and it wasn’t long before the two juveniles started their begging calls.  The owls appeared not to mind any of the human activities or noises, from someone playing the vibes, dogs barking, talking, etc.  The birds were moving from tree to tree and at times could be seen silhouetted against the sky and were observed moving their heads in all axes, as if on gimbals, trying to figure us out.

In this recording the two owls are silhouetted against the sky about twenty feet away in an oak tree.  This is their begging call at 2041 on July 23, 2009.

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The next recording was taken at 2050 after the juveniles had moved to a large oak tree about 10 feet away.  An adult landed in the tree and gave a short bark, which I missed on the recording.  Almost immediately   high pitched, excited calls emanated from the tree, followed by  begging calls from one owl.  We did not observe any food being handed off, but it is possible tha one of the fledgelings got fed, based on just a single bird begging afterward.

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The following are two primitive attempts at the typical “bouncing ball” call of adult birds as attempted by one of the juveniles.

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Below is a photo by Rudy Darling of one of the western screech owl juveniles in an alert position.

Photography: Rudy Darling

Photography: Rudy Darling

This is a photo of the same bird moments later in stealth mode. Eyes closed and body skinnier and elongated, with “ears” raised, and a much more “barklike” appearance.

Photography: Rudy Darling

Photography: Rudy Darling

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Explainer

April 10th, 2009

Unfortunately, a lot of this has been going on around here, instead of new files being posted.

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This has to stop.

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Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) calls along the Snohomish River, WA

February 19th, 2009

Recorded with Telinga dish and twin science microphone in the afternoon of January 25, 2009 at Heirman County Park in Snohomish along the Snohomish River.  This is mono only from the right channel (cardioid) of distant bald eagles calling.

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Female Great-horned Owl Squawks, Sierra Foothills

February 13th, 2009

While in the Rock Creek Nature area East of Nevada  City, CA on the night of July 18, 2007, great-horned owls were active.  A juvenile was begging, and this female was squawking away.  One could easily mistake this vocalization for a noise normally protested against in social settings with a certain vehemence.  A begging juvenile can be heard faintly in the background (as always, use headphones when possible to get the subtle background sounds).

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Juvenile Northern-saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus) begging call Sierra Foothills

February 13th, 2009

July 18, 2007, six minutes to three in the Sierra foothills East of Nevada City, CA, looking for owls.  The moon had set hours before, but one could see fairly well by starlight.  I was exploring an area by car and stopping every .2 miles to get out and listen for a while.  Fairly often just the dinging of the key in the ignition alarm when opening the door to get out will set off owls in an area.  At this location I listened for a while and while walking up the road started hearing this odd repetitive hissing noise coming from low out of thick cover ahead.  Not having a clue of what was the cause, I started recording.  During recording I heard a bird moving, so  figured this was a bird of some kind. The regularity and quality of the sound reminded me of an air cylinder cycling.  Thinking about this on the way home it hit me that it also sounded somewhat like someone sharpening a knife on a stone. Saw-whet owl came to mind, as one of their calls supposedly reminds somewhat of sharpening a saw.  I have yet to hear it anywhere, including the internet.  I sent a snippet of the file to Bruce Webb, a local owl expert, and was told that what I had recorded was a juvenile Northern saw-whet owl begging for food.

The sound at 26.5 sec is the bird moving in the thick cover.

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Juvenile Great-horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) begging call

February 13th, 2009

July 23, 2007, hunting for owls above Nevada City, CA I heard this raspy, screechy noise near Rock Creek.  The time was twenty minutes before midnight.  I was perplexed by the call, but figured it might be an owl of some kind and recorded it.  Doing some research afterward I found out that this is a begging call for the great-horned owl.  Another mystery night sound solved.

This file is 00:01:08 long and contains four calls.  Background is running water and crickets.

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Here are aother four calls from the same bird in the same location 20 minutes later.

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Early Morning Olema Marsh, CA Virginia rail (Rallus limicola) and others

February 12th, 2009

I drove to Olema Marsh before dawn on Sunday February 7, 2009 to see what birds and animals might be active in the area. Even at that time there was quite a bit of traffic on both Bear Valley Rd. and Sir Francis Drake Blvd.   Not long after light Virginia rails started vocalizing, along with marsh wrens, song sparrows, crows, ravens, jungle fowl (roosters) and others.  The recording is 00:05:39 long, and the loudest portions are the Virginia rails.  Traffic noise is present off and on.

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Another segment of the Virgiania rails with a great-horned owl in the background.

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Common Raven (Corvus corax) call and clucking sound at Limantour Beach, Point Reyes, CA

February 10th, 2009

Recorded on the morning of February 8, 2009 at Limantour Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore.  Two Ravens flew into a pine and I recorded their croaky calls from a distance.  When I heard the clucking calls I moved closer and recorded almost directly under the tree.  One of the birds was quietly preening as the other was vocalizing.  There must be some bill snapping associated with making the clucking noises, as little clicking sounds can also be heard.  White-crowned sparrows can be heard in the background along with the surf over the dunes behind me.

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Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) trill Upper Bridgeport SP in Nevada County, CA

February 3rd, 2009

Chipping sparrows migrate through the foothills on the way to higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada.  On the morning of April 17, 20007 I heard what I took to be an insect of some kind, but it turned out to be a sparrow perched on the top of a young oak tree with his head and wide open bill pointed at the sky broadcasting the following enthusiastically.

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What do I consider to be Upper Bridgeport SP ??

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California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis) Upper Bridgeport SP in Nevada County, CA

February 3rd, 2009

The California towhee is a common bird in our area.  Most of the year one can hear it’s sharp “pink” call, but in the spring one can hear its song. Recorded at upper Bridgeport State Park in Nevada County, CA.

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