"A little bit of bread and no che-e-e-e-se" (1 Viewer)

seb_seb

Well-known member

• Jan 7, 2004

• #21

Great Tit song: "Tea-cher Tea-cher Tea-cher..."
Ive heard a Great Tit today that has dropped the "cher" bit and is just singing the "Tea". Obviously he prefers his Tea to Cher.....

 

B

Bluetail

Senior Moment

• Jan 7, 2004

• #22

seb_seb said:

Great Tit song: "Tea-cher Tea-cher Tea-cher..."

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Likewise Ovenbird, but louder than Great Tit and with a crescendo to boot. Unfortunately, your chances of getting to do a direct field comparison are effectively zilch!

Jason

 

H

helenh

Well-known member

• Jan 7, 2004

• #23

Bluetail said:

If you know the old song (or even if you don't), Cetti's Warblers sing something rather like "Tea for two and toodle-oodle-oodle-oodle..." (etc). (Never quite worked anything out for the roulade that follows the opening).

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Fifebirder said:

I've always imagined Cetti's Warbler song as sounding like the 1812 Overture, for those familiar with it (the Cetti's and the Overture).

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OK - so now I'm trying to imagine what the song "Tea for Two" would have sounded like had it been written by Tchaikovsky with a cannon accompaniment. And I'm failing (but having a good time nonetheless).

I love Jason's "Tea for two and toodle-oodle-oodle-oodle" - sounds like a line out of PG Wodehouse. I just hope that next time I hear Cetti's I recognise it as that.

Given the 2 apparently completely different interpretations of 1 bird call I can seriously understand why the phoneticists have such problems!

 

S

simondix

Well-known member

• Jan 7, 2004

• #24

Alaister,
Have you heard the cockney sparrers in Landun say...."kaff" and "Fill"????
Dave.

____I thought they were seeing a new sort of bird a Sor Tit______________

 

robinm

Registered User

• Jan 7, 2004

• #25

I know cetti's very well and both the pieces of music and I can't see the resemblance. I suppose that is because different people perceive bird song in different ways.

Just a few days ago I sat in a hide at Stodmarsh with a cetti's wandering around on the reeds about 10 feet away right in the open. When it burst into song it was deafening. To me it always says "chip chip chewy chewy chewy". But what do I know ?

 

B

Bluetail

Senior Moment

• Jan 7, 2004

• #26

robinm said:

I know cetti's very well and both the pieces of music and I can't see the resemblance.

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Almost inevitable, I'm afraid, Robin, since Cetti's have individually variable calls. Those whose song starts with a single, abrupt note can sound like the song I mentioned, but many (even a majority maybe?) start with a double note and the rhythm then seems less like the song too. I'm also having difficulty hearing Tchaik, but probably for the same reason.

 

H

HH75

Well-known member

• Jan 7, 2004

• #27

Hi all,
Cetti's,if I remember,strike me as singing hwit..pitch-oo...and then that 'rambling' bit,all at incredible volume!
Wood Warbler is supposed to sound like a coin spinning on its side and coming to rest,which it does,vaguely!
Harry H

 

Jane Turner

Well-known member

• Jan 7, 2004

• #28

Cretzschmar's (sp?) Bunting ... Beethoven's 5th...the last note sharp and sometimes with one note too many to start with!

 

Steve G

RAINBIRDER

• Jan 7, 2004

• #29

Scottish Yellowhammers seem to say diel diel diel tak ye (an invitation for auld Nick to whisk you away! ).

 

Steve G

RAINBIRDER

• Jan 7, 2004

• #30

What about Great Bustard. I have a recording of a male in full display -as air sacks inflate & deflate the noise made is very, eh, "interesting"- tried to upload the file onto this thread but unfortunately it is not a valid file format -I'll try to find a web link -but be warned - the uncontrolled flatulence is not for the faint-hearted!!!

 

Steve G

RAINBIRDER

• Jan 7, 2004

• #31

Steve G said:

What about Great Bustard. I have a recording of a male in full display -as air sacks inflate & deflate the noise made is very, eh, "interesting"- tried to upload the file onto this thread but unfortunately it is not a valid file format -I'll try to find a web link -but be warned - the uncontrolled flatulence is not for the faint-hearted!!!

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Found a link to the Great Bustard display "noise" recording-with apologies to the site it was taken from- it'll take a minute or 2 to load:
www.robots.ox.ac.uk/~ian/Birding/Spain/Songs/gb_22.wav -listen to it after a few drams- it might even seem funny!! B

 

Last edited: Jan 7, 2004

Ruby

Well-known member

• Jan 7, 2004

• #32

Cetti's sounds like the last bit of the "time's up" music on Countdown

Male Chaffinch sounds like a fast bowler... gradually increasing 'run-up' followed by a flourish at release.

 

christineredgate

Winner of the Copeland Wildlife Photographer of th

• Jan 7, 2004

• #33

So how would one identify the very clever Starling mimic?.Especially the sentinel starling who keeps watch for the others and lets everyone know when food is ready,or when some one rather bigger than himself is hovering overhead!!.
Christine.

 

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening

Supporter

• Jan 7, 2004

• #34

Ruby said:

Cetti's sounds like the last bit of the "time's up" music on Countdown

Male Chaffinch sounds like a fast bowler... gradually increasing 'run-up' followed by a flourish at release.

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That's a good one Ruby, although with the Scottish Chaffinches they sound like a fast bowler getting his feet mixed up in the middle of his run.

 

S

simondix

Well-known member

• Jan 7, 2004

• #35

y wife likes the Gt. Bustard ever since I got the CD. Mind you anything that makes noises like that she likes. Favourite Film 'Blazing Saddles'

 

steve_nova

Well-known member

• Jan 7, 2004

• #36

French Rock Doves say merci beau Cooooo!

 

Fuchsia

Bug Babe

• Jan 7, 2004

• #37

Birdman, I absolutely understand your frustration. Even with online 'bird songs' I listen - rush to the computer - play a few and then completely forget what the one I heard sounded like. Re Marsh Tits - got loads of them here but I don't hear what is on the computer. Of course they all have French accents around here!

Jen

 

Michael Frankis

conehead

• Jan 7, 2004

• #38

Willow Warbler in Swedish:

"Snälla lilla rara söta mamma, kan jag inte få gå på bio i kväll"

('dearest sweetest lovely little mummy, can I go to the cinema tonight')

 

G

Gorgon

Active member

• Jan 7, 2004

• #39

The contact call of Chaffinch says "spink" which is identical to the Brown Treecreeper contact call here, making remembering it for me in the UK very easy.
Cheers,
Peter

 

G

guffers

Well-known member

• Jan 7, 2004

• #40

Some field guides list Willow Tit as ' chay chay chay ' but I don't subscribe to this one personally and far prefer the less commonly acclaimed ' erz erz erz '. I agree that it sounds irritated and rather nasal.

One tip birdman : say the erz in a prolonged manner i.e eerrzz eerrzz eerrzz in the same way that the Greenfinch sings in a strained way. I've always loved the Willow Tit's call as it's an id clincher. Also it's important to learn the species' call as it's a bird which is invariably heard before it's seen in my experience.