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Bird Sound ID - Essex - Unable to ID (3 Viewers)

Buckster

Active member
Wondered if anyone could help with these three recordings please, both made with a newly built BirdNET PI. Located in the garden, which is next to a field, in Essex between 2 Estuaries (around 2 miles from each)

So far it has made 8000 bird recordings in 6 days and I'm only using a spare Mic I had - I'm planning to buy a EM272 capsule based microphone (plus possibly a parabolic reflector for overnight) which should be make the recordings much more sensitive. Within days it has completely changed my view of what I don't see or hear in/over our garden. For instance I haven't seen any Redwing this year in the garden, or in the trees at the back, yet from an audio viewpoint they have been in the top 5 every day I have put the BirdNET PI out !

These three have me confused and wondered if anyone had any ideas please ?

1st one - 8am 14/01 - BirdNET PI identified as a Little Owl but with Low Confidence. I've heard Little Owl before and didn't sound like this. Either an additional vocalisation, someone whistling ? ( don't think so as sounds like a bird) - or maybe a Starling being creative ? Bit at the end makes me think Starling but never heard one do the first two parts


2nd one - 9pm 14/01 - BirdNET PI identified as Common Crane. I'm not sure - sounds like a "larger" overflying bird from the low audio frequency but not sure what. 2 calls, first one slightly lower pitched, a gap then a louder slightly higher pitched one.


3rd one - 12pm 13/01 - BirdNET PI identified as a Night Heron. Now I'd automatically exclude and I am pretty certain it is incorrect, but the day before this recording I was in a phone call and saw a large chunky looking dark bird (typically I didn't have binoculars in the same room as me). My first impression as strange as it sounds was a very large chunky Curlew. It was smaller than a Grey Heron about Little Egret size, looked like it had no real end/tail to it, and was flying over the field next to the house, at around 4pm. It had a constant wingbeat. Even though was approaching dusk the bird looked dark so pretty certain wasn't a Little Egret. House is between 2 estuaries (both less than 2 miles away) in Essex. After I finished the phone call, went to look at the BirdNET PI, and it had a recording that matches the one below for the exact time I saw the bird. 12pm the following day it picked up what it thought was the same species, but this time was a slightly better signal so that is the one I've included below. I'm pretty certain it is not a Night Heron - would be a surprise for here in Winter - but I'm not sure what it could be please ? Frequency looks too low for Grey Heron ?


many thanks for any help - finding automated bird audio recording fascinating already
 
the bird in no.1 recording has called several times and been picked up on the BirdNET Pi near identically again later on this morning

except on one of the recordings the end part sounding more Starling like

I am now thinking could well be a Starling mimicking a Bullfinch ?
 
In recording one you have two things going on, a Long-tailed Tit that happens twice in the recording with 4 notes at the beginning then 3 at the end (the little hat shapes on the sonogram around 7-8000 kHz) and then someone with a less than musical ear trying to recreate a tune by whistling I think.
 
First one - agree with LTT with the other sound is possibly a squeaky gate that needs oiling?

The second and third - nothing substantial to make an educated guess, sorry.
 
My ID skills on non-bird sounds are significantly worse than my bird sound ID. Although, having tried NocMig in an urban area, I have become an expert in recognising urinating against my bin and vomiting at ridiculous times of the morning......
 
My guesses

1 LTT & Starling
2 could b anything, avian or non-avian
3 Blackbird, and just poss Greenfinch?

(Seems a lot of effort for little gain? Each to their own of course, there's far worse things to do with one's spare time. I trawl tinternet lol 🤦🤷🙄🤔😉)
 
In recording one you have two things going on, a Long-tailed Tit that happens twice in the recording with 4 notes at the beginning then 3 at the end (the little hat shapes on the sonogram around 7-8000 kHz) and then someone with a less than musical ear trying to recreate a tune by whistling I think.

thankyou for your reply - I'm certain within recording one it is a bird. I recorded the exact same sound today multiple times with the recorder next to one of the feeders at the bottom of the garden and it is definitely a bird
 
My guesses

1 LTT & Starling
2 could b anything, avian or non-avian
3 Blackbird, and just poss Greenfinch?

(Seems a lot of effort for little gain? Each to their own of course, there's far worse things to do with one's spare time. I trawl tinternet lol 🤦🤷🙄🤔😉)

thankyou for your answers - I do now think that (1) is a starling. I'm pretty convinced (2) is avian its just too low volume.

yes the difficult/low volume ones/not sure what they are - are time consuming

but the ones it gets right gives a fascinating picture of the birds to (and over) the garden :) way better observations than I would have the time for (I don't have time to sit in the garden for 12 hours as much as I'd like to :) )

12/01
Birdnetpi-12-01.PNG

14/01
14-01-top10.PNG
 
My ID skills on non-bird sounds are significantly worse than my bird sound ID. Although, having tried NocMig in an urban area, I have become an expert in recognising urinating against my bin and vomiting at ridiculous times of the morning......

thankfully I hopefully won't have to pick up those sort of sounds (I await to be corrected though) - live in a rural environment.
 
thankyou for your answers - I do now think that (1) is a starling. I'm pretty convinced (2) is avian its just too low volume.

yes the difficult/low volume ones/not sure what they are - are time consuming

but the ones it gets right gives a fascinating picture of the birds to (and over) the garden :) way better observations than I would have the time for (I don't have time to sit in the garden for 12 hours as much as I'd like to :) )

12/01
View attachment 1554191

14/01
View attachment 1554192
Fair play, that would b quite interesting tbh 👍🐦
 
Fair play, that would b quite interesting tbh 👍🐦

yeah I find it fascinating even for the common birds what sings when.

also if have the BirdNET Pi on a 2nd screen somewhere (tablet etc) its a good lazy way if want to photo or see a particular bird - can view live what it is identifying and say it keeps coming up with Jay you can be pretty sure there is one in the garden to see and photo :)

also those things that happen that you missed as only lasted 3 minutes and weren't outside. I saw a Buzzard fly across back of the garden - daily occurrence. But when I looked at what the Pi had detected for the day - it had picked up a Buzzard calling then 2 seconds later a female Tawny Owl (11am this was too !) - did they happen to both call at same time or did the Buzzard spook the Tawny or vice versa.

I've only heard a Tawny Owl once here in 4 years, the Pi has already picked one up 2 separate evenings, and once during the day (today)

heard a Tawny Owl call in the middle of the day at a reserve about a month back too - took me completely by surprise. 1st time I had heard one during the middle of the day
 
And were they, in fact, tawny owls?

yes by far in the main (although I did mistake one that was a Starling mimicking) - Tawny Owls recorded again last night

around midnight a male Tawny Owl calling


around 2am a female Tawny Owl calling twice followed by a male replying


as I said previously I think this is where these automated systems are so useful - I have only heard a Tawny Owl from our house once in around 4 years. They have been picked up at least 4 nights in 2 weeks and the BirdNET Pi hasn't been out every night
 
Wondered if anyone could help with these three recordings please, both made with a newly built BirdNET PI. Located in the garden, which is next to a field, in Essex between 2 Estuaries (around 2 miles from each)

So far it has made 8000 bird recordings in 6 days and I'm only using a spare Mic I had - I'm planning to buy a EM272 capsule based microphone (plus possibly a parabolic reflector for overnight) which should be make the recordings much more sensitive. Within days it has completely changed my view of what I don't see or hear in/over our garden. For instance I haven't seen any Redwing this year in the garden, or in the trees at the back, yet from an audio viewpoint they have been in the top 5 every day I have put the BirdNET PI out !

These three have me confused and wondered if anyone had any ideas please ?

1st one - 8am 14/01 - BirdNET PI identified as a Little Owl but with Low Confidence. I've heard Little Owl before and didn't sound like this. Either an additional vocalisation, someone whistling ? ( don't think so as sounds like a bird) - or maybe a Starling being creative ? Bit at the end makes me think Starling but never heard one do the first two parts


finally saw the bird making the call in no.1 - I have been hearing it on and off all week and too some effort to see but finally managed it and was/is a Starling
 

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