Warbler Song, Durham, UK (1 Viewer)

Mark Harper

World Birder

• Jun 9, 2020

• #1

Recorded this unseen Warbler song on the coast this afternoon. I didn't recognise it, although it seems to have some Whitethroat qualities about it. After several minutes continuous singing it went quiet and I never heard it again.

 

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RafaelMatias

Unknown member

• Jun 9, 2020

• #2

Perhaps one of the Acrocephalus? Sedge?

 

KenM

Well-known member

• Jun 9, 2020

• #3

Doesn’t sound like Sedge to my ear, believe I can hear a few “chip” and “chirp” notes, don’t know if Melodious Warbler might be in there somewhere?

Cheers

 

S

SteveClifton

Well-known member

• Jun 10, 2020

• #4

Mark Harper said:

Recorded this unseen Warbler song on the coast this afternoon. I didn't recognise it, although it seems to have some Whitethroat qualities about it. After several minutes continuous singing it went quiet and I never heard it again.

Click to expand...

As you probably know there's a mini influx of Blyth's Reed Warbler going on in the UK at the moment. Having listened to a few recordings online, that's where my money would be.

There is clearly considerable variation, but this recent one from Norfolk is quite similar:https://www.xeno-canto.org/562700

 

Last edited: Jun 10, 2020

D

davercox

Dave Cox

Supporter

• Jun 10, 2020

• #5

Well, I don't get an Acro feel here at all; it sounds more like Blackcap to me.

 

Richard Prior

Halfway up an Alp

• Jun 10, 2020

• #6

This is what I love about birding, a lot of experienced folk ( well five so far!), each suggesting a different possible species! Nobody has suggested Marsh Warbler yet, did it ramble on with the same phrases Mark or do other imitations during the several minutes it was singing? I don’t really recognize it as Marsh though from the recording so Blyth’s Reed sounds feasible listening to Steve’s xeno canto clip and especially considering the influx you’re having over there.

 

Mark Harper

World Birder

• Jun 10, 2020

• #7

It sounded pretty similar the whole time, I certainly didn’t pick out any repeating mimicry. No sign today of it.

 

CARERY

Well-known member

• Jun 10, 2020

• #8

I'm in the Blackcap camp. Sometimes they don't feel like singing the usual song...

 

A

Alexander Stöhr

Well-known member

• Jun 10, 2020

• #9

I am with Dave and Roland: a Blackcap for me.
Allmost every year, I heasr one or two Blackcaps that sing extremly similar to a Sedge Warbler. And then its allways the same: "Oh, a Sedge Warbler... Yes, it is (I have heard many of them, so I feel confident to ID them against Reed and Marsh Warblers quite easy. But as I regular are in a region in SW-Germany, where Sedge Warbler is a scarce/rare migrant and even rarer as a breeding bird, and with this experience, I wait until I see the Blackcap or it turns the song to a more regular Blackcap-version (which they sometimes doesnt do!).
And sometimes I hear Blackcaps that gave a "strange" feeling. Theyre song can be described as a "hard to describe" Sylvia-warbler song, that sounds at first to contain imitations, but youre not sure about that. Then I allways hope for a rarer Warbler species, that I dont have much experience with. But its (nearly) allways a Blackcap.

I get this impression from this recording: so a Blackcap for me . And I dont get the feeling of a Melodious Warbler

 

Mark Harper

World Birder

• Jun 10, 2020

• #10

There are plenty of Blackcaps in the area, but Blackcap never entered my mind whilst listening to it.

 

B

BobbitWorm45

Well-known member

• Jun 10, 2020

• #11

Could be Garden Warbler

 

harr1y

Well-known member

• Jun 10, 2020

• #12

My initial thought was Blackcap but it seemed a bit long winded which i always then revert to my fallback species which is Garden Warbler which to me sounds like a Blackcap that doesnt know when to stop

 

Last edited: Jun 10, 2020

KenM

Well-known member

• Jun 10, 2020

• #13

There is almost certainly a Blackcap singing on the tape, but I don’t believe that is Mark’s “subject” song?, and those notes to my ear do sound distinctly odd, implying not a “regular” Sylvia. Agree with harr1y regarding the manic Garden Warbler v the more measured Blackcap.

Cheers

 

RafaelMatias

Unknown member

• Jun 10, 2020

• #14

Note that my initial comment had no ID value, it was a 'shot from the hip' mostly intended to broaden the discussion; Sedge was suggested because this is a common coastal migrant in the UK and also because some notes were somewhat suggestive of one to me (not a typical song though). Listening to the recording again I still have some difficulty in hearing there a (typical) Sylvia (but perhaps not an impossible option). If I have the time I'll try to analyse it more properly.