[wisb] Re: What else sounds like... Menominee Co.

  • From: Ryan Brady <ryanbrady10@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:51:11 -0600

From a Records Committtee and eBird perspective, such heard-only records are 
indeed very difficult to deal with.  I don't have much to add to what others 
have said except that you should try to take a recording.  Handheld recorders 
are relatively cheap and sometimes effective.  If the bird is close or loud 
enough, recording clips with the video function of your digital camera or even 
a cell phone is often possible.  A final bit of advice would be to make sure 
you write down all the info on what you heard before you listen to any 
recordings -- it's so easy for everything to blend together after you start 
listening to your favorite birding-by-ear resources.
 
The Records Committee has a number of species requiring review that are likely 
to be "heard-only" and we plan to develop criteria/guidance on suitably 
documenting these species.  This discussion has helped inform some basics of 
that process, so thanks.
 

Ryan Brady
Washburn, Bayfield County, WI
http://www.pbase.com/rbrady

 

> Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:42:30 -0500
> Subject: [wisb] Re: What else sounds like... Menominee Co.
> From: calocitta8@xxxxxxxxx
> CC: Wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 
> Hey all-
> the best approach here (and in many cases of documentation) is to both
> describe what you heard, AND describe exactly how you ruled out other
> species, even if you did so unconsciously. Cover all the bases and
> overwhelm the records committee. As mentioned, N. Waterthrush is one of the
> warblers with a really big song - it's very loud. It shares this with
> Louisiana Waterthrush, Ovenbird, Connecticut Warbler, and Kentucky Warbler.
> Carolina Wrens also have very loud songs (though structurally quite
> different than waterthrush).
> 
> Other things to describe - the number of parts to the song, and define the
> parts (I tend to think of N Waterthrush having 3 part songs, L. Waterthrush
> 3-4, depending on how you define it). Say whether those parts were
> generally increasing/decreasing in pitch or staying even. Say something
> about the notes that make up each part. Mention loudness, harshness, nasal
> quality.
> 
> The issue is that the committee or ebird reviewer will say to themselves
> "What other options fit the stated description?" Even if one of those is
> not necessarily more likely, if it's at all reasonable compared with your
> potential record, they won't be able to rule it out and will not be able to
> accept the record.
> 
> I for one would focus on being clear about how you ruled out Louisiana
> Waterthrush, which can produce song with many of the same characteristics
> as Northern, and in migration could very easily occur in the same habitat.
> It is also expected to arrive before Northern Waterthrush, and therefore
> would be a species that reviewers would want to rule out.
> 
> Jesse Ellis
> Madison, WI
> 
> On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 1:10 PM, Tom Wood <tcwood729@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> > I have on occasion heard a Northern Waterthrush and thought Connecticut
> > Warbler. Both have loud, rather choppy songs and I am not very good at
> > sound identification, being able to identify probably only a bit better
> > than
> > 50% of the birds I hear. Also, when you are hoping for something like a
> > Connecticut
> > Warbler, any similar song probably makes the sought after species jump into
> > your head. In your case, Connecticut Warbler would be the least likely
> > species
> > you would hear in April or early May since they are late migrants. Besides,
> > you probably know both species well and wouldn't have to think about what
> > you were hearing, anyway.
> > Some species lend themselves well to song description. Whip-poor-will ,
> > Chuck-will's-widow, Yellow Rail, The Empidonax flycatcher complex, etc. But
> > how would you document the song of a goldfinch, House Finch, or a Winter
> > Wren? Those would be too complex for me to even attempt.
> > I guess the best one can do when attempting a description of a song would
> > be
> > to describe the general nature of the song (trill, phrases, buzzy sounds,
> > whistles, grunts,etc), then describe how many syllables you hear and which
> > syllable has the strongest emphasis, if there is variation. Does the song
> > rise in pitch or fall in pitch? Is it delivered rapidly (Prairie Warbler)
> > or
> > slowly (like Red-eyed Vireo)? High frequency (Cape May Warbler) or lower
> > (Mourning Warbler).
> > I use mnemonic devices (Fitz-bew for Willow Flycatcher) to remember some
> > songs and these would probably be helpful to a records committee in getting
> > a feel for what you heard, even though everybody probably uses different
> > ones.
> > I hope you can come up with something to document your Northern Waterthrush
> > because it would add to the remarkable early occurrence data that has
> > characterized this spring. I think that in the "previous experience with
> > species..." section you should probably note that the location was a known
> > location for
> > the species last year.
> >
> > Thomas Wood,Menomonee Falls, Waukesha County
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: wisbirdn-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:wisbirdn-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> > On Behalf Of Nancy Richmond
> > Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 9:38 PM
> > To: Wisbirdn
> > Subject: [wisb] What else sounds like... Menominee Co.
> >
> > Hi All -
> > I ran the second replicate of my Red-Shouldered Hawk Survey Route in
> > Northwestern Menominee County this morning (with Tribal permission). I had
> > more Barred owls calling than on my Owl Survey route and even saw one! And
> > more Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers than most people see in a year (34 in 3
> > hours) This is great habitat for woodpeckers! I had a couple Red-Shoulders
> > respond verbally, but didn't see any.
> >
> > My question is... What else sounds similar to a Northern Waterthrush?
> > I heard what I am certain is a Northern Waterthrush in appropriate habitat.
> > eBird asked for confirmation. I haven't found a good way to describe sound
> > in type. Imitating a bird song is only slightly better - how limited we
> > humans are vocally! So I typed the stupid sounding explanation (wouldn't
> > pass muster with the Records Committee).... "it matches the call on the CD"
> > Which it did. Exactly. And even if I hadn't had the Stokes Bird songs
> > along,
> > I was certain that's what it was. It's pretty distinctive. Loud, ringing.
> > with that whippy little ending. Singing in a wooded swamp...
> > (Same swamp had the same call last spring too)
> >
> > I didn't have time to find the bird and get visual confirmation - I was
> > running a survey protocol.
> >
> > So eBird asked for confirmation of today's bird and I provided my lame
> > evidence.
> >
> > The big problem is I heard the exact same call in the same spot on my first
> > run of the hawk route, which was April 5. If it is/was a Northern
> > Waterthrush, it would have been record early for the state. There are only
> > 3 records before April 14 - 2 in Milwaukee county 1 in Door. So here I am
> > better than halfway up the state with a bird that would break the record by
> > 4 days. How likely is that?...hmmm
> >
> > So.. what might it be, if it wasn't a Northern Waterthrush? I really am
> > interested in similar sounding birds that would be less unlikely, even
> > though I'm about 90 % sure :-)
> >
> > And a more general question - Can you document "heard only" birds
> > adequately? How?
> >
> > Nancy Richmond
> > Polar- Langlade Co.
> >
> >
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> 
> 
> -- 
> Jesse Ellis
> Post-doctoral Researcher
> Dept. of Zoology
> University of Wisconsin - Madison
> Madison, Dane Co, WI
> 
> 
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