Chippers will not Chipp!!! (1 Viewer)

Hi! This is my second post on this site. I'm sort of new to birding. I bought a bird feeder in February and since then I've bought Petersons Field Guide to North American Birds, plus I borrowed my brother’s bird books - Sibley and National Geographic plus some others.

In March I wanted to learn bird calls/songs so I bought Peterson Birding by Ear. I really love that set and I've memorized all 85 birds in it.

Anyway, I'm seeing lot of Chipping Sparrows. I got a new pair of binos. I know 85 birds by song or call from the CD's. I want to hear an actual Chipping Sparrow so I know what one sounds like other than what I hear on the CD. I watch and watch and watch the Chippers and they never sing!

And now - I hear something chipping like a Chipping Sparrow in a tree but now matter how long I look I can not find the bird, he/she is well hidden!

My question is - do Chipping Sparrow chip now (May) or will they chip more in the summer?

Also, I'm trying to identify the Chickadees. I 'm not sure if they are Black Capped or Carolina. I know what they are suppose to sound like. I heard one do the "chicka dee dee dee dee" but I did not hear a Fee Bee or Fee Bee Bee Bay song. When do Chickadees do their Fee Bee songs? Now or later in the summer?

Thanks. I'm new to birding but I'm enjoying trying to identify birds by sight and sound. When I'm not working on my off days I usually have my binos in my had looking up in trees!

Thanks!

Hi HoosierGuy, saw that no one had responded so maybe my post will bump this up a bit. Many birds will be singing this time of year, since it is nesting/mating season. I've heard the Chipping Sparrows here recently and they were definitely singing. I don't see any Chickadees down this way, hopefully someone will come along and answer that one for you.
You might want to trying checking out the Cornell Lab site, there should be info on it about singing etc,.
Welcome to the wonderful world of birding.