the day and this morning I heard a brown thrasher give a short version of
its song, and then nothing more. It tends to happen nearly every spring,
when I think I hear a distant brief song that reminds me of a species that
I hadn't heard since last year. The song is often given only once and is
commonly just an abbreviated version of the species full spring song.
This gets my attention and prompts me to listen closer to affirm the
species which I believe to have heard for the first time of the season. I
strain to listen for one more call, even to simply hear its voice so that I
can be sure of its recent arrival, but it often doesn't come. If I didn't
positively identify it the first time around, I will have to wait another
day to confirm its arrival.
This seems to happen in particular following a strong warm front. My
thinking is that these favorable winds allow for longer migrations, meaning
that the new arrivals have expended all of these energy to take advantage
of the winds and when they do stop they are busy refueling and have little
time or energy to produce a song.
I usually explain this by saying that the birds are simply tired from
migrating which is why they donât sing much when they first arrive, and in
some ways this it true. It is more likely that they have exhausted
themselves from the long flight and need to replenish themselves, leaving
singing as a low priority. However, by the next day it isn't unusual to
hear them singing loud and repeatedly which then confirms what I thought I
had heard the previous day. While a bit frustrating, I find it interesting
to hear these first songs of spring given so briefly before the birds have
an opportunity to rest and then begin to sing in earnest.
Bill
FdL Co.
--
Bill Volkert
Naturalist
www.billvolkert
####################
You received this email because you are subscribed to the Wisconsin Birding
Network (Wisbirdn).
To UNSUBSCRIBE or SUBSCRIBE, use the Wisbirdn web interface at:
//www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn
To set DIGEST or VACATION modes, use the Wisbirdn web interface at:
//www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn
Visit Wisbirdn ARCHIVES at: //www.freelists.org/archives/wisbirdn
