On Wednesday evening with the full moon rising just at dusk fellow birder
Clancey Deel and I drove out to the Mountain Top Golf Course, here on the
mountain, to hear the Whip-poor-wills that nest there every year. I had
gotten permission earlier. We had arrived only at the entrance gate when one
started calling off to our right. After listening for a few moments we drove
up the hill to the parking lot. Immediately we heard three calling at once.
Two were across the fairway on number 1 but the closest one was in some
trees to our left just beyond the shed where the carts are kept. Within a
few minutes another one farther down the fairway added to the chorus and we
had 4 birds calling at once. It was amazing to hear them.
We listened for awhile enjoying the sound, and just when we thought it
couldn't get any better, one suddenly started calling from a tree right
behind us no more than 40 or 50 feet away. Now the place was ringing with
all of these whip-poor-will calls both close up and far away.
Several minutes later the closest and loudest one stopped calling and began
making a strange sound. I later found out that it was doing what is called
the aug-aug-aug call. I had never heard it before. You can hear it by
clicking the link below, then scrolling down the page where on the lower
right you will see 6 calls. Click on the next to last one. You first hear
the regular Whip-poor-will call, then one begins the aug call.
http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/eastern-whip-poor-will ;
After we listened to this strange call for about a minute or so the bird
suddenly stopped, then flew from the tree, passed under a bright light and
turned to fly into the darkness away from us. It was at that moment I heard
three loud sounds. I first thought it was someone with heavy boots taking
long running strides on the pavement, but we were the only ones there, and I
didn't see anyone. The sounds were very loud and low in pitch. I later
learned that Whip-poor-wills make this sound by clapping their wings
together to drive away other male intruders. That was also a first for me,
though I have heard Whip-poor-wills for many years, I had never heard either
of these two sounds. It was a very enjoyable and enlightening night.
Roger Mayhorn
Compton Mt
