Bird ID - a dodgy description of its call (1 Viewer)

[Spidermike]

When out in the local park, I have hear an unusual call and it is bugging me because I don't recognise it.

The park is in East Cheshire and is a real mix of terrain: it has a medium sized river flowing round the edge with a decent amount of woodland and on the other side of the river is open farmland and beyond that the Peak District. I have heard it in broad daylight.

The only way I can describe the call is a 'Wooo-wit' with the 'wit' part being short and rising quickly.
I have been through loads of bird call recordings on this site and others, and the one of the Little Owl calls has the same sort of structure but it is far too high tone and 'thin' sounding. The one I heard is more 'rounded' in sound and more mid-tone.
I have been trying to get a recording but the little (?) so-and-so has not made a call the last couple of days. Maybe it isn't even a bird - the closest I have heard elsewhere is gibbons calling in the rainsforest, so unless global warming has progressed quicker than we thought, I guess that is not really on the table.

Can anyone help?

 

[ChrisKten]

When out in the local park, I have hear an unusual call and it is bugging me because I don't recognise it.

The park is in East Cheshire and is a real mix of terrain: it has a medium sized river flowing round the edge with a decent amount of woodland and on the other side of the river is open farmland and beyond that the Peak District. I have heard it in broad daylight.

The only way I can describe the call is a 'Wooo-wit' with the 'wit' part being short and rising quickly.
I have been through loads of bird call recordings on this site and others, and the one of the Little Owl calls has the same sort of structure but it is far too high tone and 'thin' sounding. The one I heard is more 'rounded' in sound and more mid-tone.
I have been trying to get a recording but the little (?) so-and-so has not made a call the last couple of days. Maybe it isn't even a bird - the closest I have heard elsewhere is gibbons calling in the rainsforest, so unless global warming has progressed quicker than we thought, I guess that is not really on the table.

Can anyone help?

First thing that springs to mind is a Starling, as there's one doing that call in my garden as I type

 

[delia todd]

Chris could well be right. Starlings have a variety of calls and are great mimics too.

A couple of weeks ago I had one which sounded just like a Curlew... had me running to the window for a new garden tick LOL. He was around for a few days only, so either moved on or gave up. I can only presume he had spent the winter at the coast.

 

[Spidermike]

Thank you both.
All the starling calls I have played are too 'coarse' and has a grating element to it, but that does not preclude mimicry as you say. The only thing I would say goes against a starling was the 'size' of the sound.

So scrabbling for more comparisons...
If you think of a collared dove call it was that sort of volume to it but richer: the collared dove has the hree parts to it, this one only the two with that up-tick at the end.

I can see I really need a recording. Curses.

 

[rosbifs]

Not a willow warbler?

 

[esmondb]

Young tawny owl? Tawnies have a range of bizarre and bewildering calls

 

[PhilW]

Chiffchaff or Willow Warbler.

 

[Spidermike]

Nope - they are too chirrupy or 'sing song'.

The owl is the best bet but I can't work out which one is the most likely.

 

[mulligatawny owl]

Stock dove?

 

[Spidermike]

That's the beastie! Thank you, mulligatawny.

http://www.british-birdsongs.uk/stock-dove