hi, need help naming bird from its song

[simonbratt99]

hi,
1st post here, heard a really weird bird song last night. Well i assume its a bird as the sound moved around quite fast, too fast for a land animal.
i noticed it from about 12:30am but i still heard it a little in the morning.

Definately didnt have anything to drink (as i dont hardly ever).

I live with farm land and fields mostly around, and a fairly large river about 200m away. Ive never heard this song before and now ive got to try and describe it lol.

ok first off half the song sounded like a possible house alarm in the distance or possibly some weird police siren. It was fairly loud at times mostly when the 'bird' (s) flew closer.
I can also best describe the other half of the song as, well, do you know the little instrument, like a tube, that has a slider that goes up and down the inside of it making a high pitch slide up n down (up and down in about 1 sec, approximately 5 - 10 times repeated in 1 go).

Am i making any sence what so ever?

Ive looked on the rspb site as they have bird songs, ive looked at corncrake, nightjar, and a couple of night song birds but no luck.

if anyone has any clue what im talking about, we'd love to know

Oh and i know very little about birds.....but find them interesting

Thanks alot.
Simon

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Not sure but have a listen to Woodcock roding call. Two very strange noises and they'll be flying about on a circuit as they do it.

[simonbratt99]

thanks for trying but unfortunately no, that song is more like a fast 'tweet' every 2-3 seconds. (excuse the terminology).
Mine is more continuous with the pitches ive described.
If its there tonight im gonna try and wander across the field and record (somehow lol)

[MSA]

Bit of a long shot, but how about Whimbrel? They are migrating in numbers at the moment, and often move at night.

[simonbratt99]

nice try, a little closer but...the warble sound is still way too fast. needs to be about 10 times slower (ie from low to high to low pitch)

[simonbratt99]

can anyone recommend how to work out a bird from the song? at night lol?

[Andrew Rowlands]

Grey Partridge have some strange nocturnal calls Simon, not sure there's a site with a recording though.

Moorhen is another nocturnal flier/vocalist but it doesn't fit the bill for your bird.

Cheers,

Andy.

[simonbratt99]

'bill' lol like what you did there.
grey partridge no sorry nothing like it, was on the rspb site for bird sounds
whimbel is definately the closest so far, but should i hear them all the way down south?

[London Birder]

Coot spring nocturnal flights can throw up some odd sounds

[teamsaint]

whimbel is definately the closest so far, but should i hear them all the way down south?

At this time of year there a quite a lot down south as they are migrating. You could probably expect to see them at most coastal sites. If you wanted to see them the nearest good site would be Farlington Marshes. They wont be here for long but by August they will all be back down here.

[nirofo]

Sounds like (if you pardon the pun) a Snipe drumming over it's territory, the male will do this late at night, the noise is caused by the wind vibrating on the stiff feathers on the birds wing as it dives steeply! It makes a sound very similar to that you describe, it can go on for some time.

nirofo.