Unknown song, Southwest UK (1 Viewer)

[payaminotom]

Hey all, please let me know what you think of this little song clip here. Other than the Long Tailed tits, this bird kept calling/singing from bramble scrub on a hill slope in my local park. Nothing is coming to mind listening to it, I would love to know if anyone else has an idea!

 

[jogresh]

It's only a brief snatch, so do you have any more?
At the mo I'd say it sounds like a Robin.

 

[payaminotom]

It's only a brief snatch, so do you have any more?
At the mo I'd say it sounds like a Robin.

Unfortunately not, it was giving identical bursts of this phrase about once every 5 minutes and I only managed this small recording. It was heading to sunset and I couldn't find it before the light faded.

Personally, I would not say Robin. The delivery (repeated phrase once every 5 min with no sounds in between) is very uncharacteristic, plus the voice/tone lacks the spritely, chiming quality of a Robin, instead possessing a small degree of scratchiness.

 

[payaminotom]

Mystery solved- Stonechat

 

[Butty]

Mystery solved- Stonechat

Could you say why?
Being so brief and so obscured by background crackling (no offence) it could be pretty much anything. In rebutting Jog's suggestion of robin you seem to be comparing it with robin's song? - which it obviously isn't, and I doubt was Jog's intention. Very brief and fairly feeble sounds made 5 minutes apart aren't likely to be a song at all - just a call.

 

[payaminotom]

Take a listen to these couple of xeno canto links and let me know what you think

XC810287 European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)

xeno-canto.org

XC812058 European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)

sings in the long lasting ground fog which muffles sounds and noises. Same bird as in XC799868. At at the end of the file a Mallard flies up from the pasture ditch

xeno-canto.org

Its worth noting that Stonechat has been noted on the site in question this summer. I was merely pointing out a couple of differences from my recording to a Robin in response to @jogresh s suggestion. I don't think it could be "anything" and I think the suggestion that it had the essence of the vocals of something within the Old World Flycatcher group was on the money.

 

[Butty]

let me know what you think

I think it's possibly correct. You don't actually say whether you could see (or tried to see) the bird, but if it was a stonechat and as you were apparently present for at least 10 minutes it would be surprising if you didn't see it as they normally perch pretty prominently.
Note for others: you need to listen to the OP's recording on a decent sound system 👍🏻

 

[payaminotom]

I think it's possibly correct. You don't actually say whether you could see (or tried to see) the bird, but if it was a stonechat and as you were apparently present for at least 10 minutes it would be surprising if you didn't see it as they normally perch pretty prominently.
Note for others: you need to listen to the OP's recording on a decent sound system 👍🏻

I'll certainly be having another look there soon to hopefully get some confirmation views. I was at a terrible vantage point at the time, bottom of a slope with no good view to the tops of the bushes, plus had my bike with me, so by the time I'd wheeled it up the hill for for better look it was almost completely dark. Habitat would be very good for stonechat there.

 

[chowchilla]

I hear stonechats calling every day here in Scilly, pretty much, and the contact call sounds bang on. The snatch of song is a bit stranger, but could certainly be one as well.

 

[payaminotom]

Just to follow up on this - Male Stonechat visually confirmed at the same location day before yesterday Thanks all for your inputs!!