Date: 5/28/13 12:51 pm
From: Janet Millenson <janet...>
Subject: Re: [MDBirding] OT-ish: Mystery sound (probably not a bird?)
Well, the general consensus seems to be that an immature owl of some
sort is the likeliest source of the sound. And it's true that this
spring an adult Barred Owl has hooted nearby a couple of times. The
various owl sounds available online, however, are close but not quite
the same as what we heard. I'm keeping an open mind and (sort of) hoping
our nocturnal noise-maker returns so we have another chance to identify it!

Thanks to everyone who responded.

-Janet

>
> On Mon, May 27, 2013 at 11:09 AM, Janet Millenson <janet...>
> <mailto:<janet...>> wrote:
>
> We were all kept awake last night by something calling loudly from
> a tree near the house. Any help in identifying it would be much
> appreciated.
>
> The sound was a cross between the nasal blare of a jay and the mew
> of a cat, in a single one-second blast followed by a long pause.
> There was no chittering or chattering to it, just a solid whiny
> scream. It continued off and on for much of the night and well
> into the morning. When I finally went outside to find the source
> of the @#$!&* racket, I was shocked by how loud it was, and
> wondered if maybe our new neighbors had bought a peacock. The
> noise might have been echoing from inside a tree cavity, because
> there were no mammals or large birds visible among the branches.
>
> We're pretty familiar with the varied sounds of the squirrels,
> raccoons, and foxes in our yard, plus of course the usual birds,
> and this was totally different. I'm presuming it was a young
> creature of some sort, but am otherwise clueless. After listening
> to various recordings of bird and mammal sounds, my family agrees
> that (so far) peacock calls come the closest. More realistic
> suggestions are welcome!
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Janet Millenson
> Potomac, MD (Montgomery County)
> <janet...> <mailto:<janet...>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> "Look at the birds!" -- Pascal the parrot
> --
> -
>

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