Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2004 19:58:57 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Robert Ringler Subject: Re: Black-capped chickadee song? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Carolyn, Local Carolina Chickadees sometimes sing two-note or three-note songs. The quality of the sound is more important than the number of notes. There is no consensus by local observers on what sounds are made by each species or hybrids. Everyone has there own interpretation of the vocalizations. There was no report of Black-capped Chickadees moving into this part of Maryland in the fall. Banders are usually the first to detect their arrival. We have not had a major Black-cap invasion in over twenty years. Since then the invasions have either stopped short of the Maryland line or spilled over with only a few birds being reported. I hate to sound so equivocal on the subject, but you probably have Carolina Chickadees that sound somewhat like Black-caps. Bob Ringler ----- Original Message ----- From: cast To: Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2004 10:52 AM Subject: [MDOSPREY] Black-capped chickadee song? In my Erie, Pennsylvania home, I came to identify the two-note song of the Black-capped chickadee with spring. In my Greenbelt, Maryland residence, the local Carolina chickadees sing a four-note song instead. Is that a valid assumption? Early this morning, before I had my glasses on and the drapes open, I heard a very clear two-note chickadee song. Could I have heard a Black-capped chickadee in my backyard? Carolyn Sturtevant Greenbelt, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================