[obol] Learning bird songs - especially in spring

From: "Paul Sullivan" <paultsullivan@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <cobol@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2015 12:33:11 -0700
It has been mentioned that there are folks new to birding who area reading
this list.  This is for you.

Unlike mammals, fish, or butterflies, birds sing.  They sing to declare
territory and to attract mates.  Each species has its own song.  Like
people, various bird populations have their own local dialects.

I would like to echo Tim Rodenkirk's endorsement of learning to identify
birds by song.  It does add a new dimension to birding.  Early in my birding
experience I used to hear a song, track down the singer, and see what it
was.  I found myself tracking down the same species over and over.  When I
finally learned what a Yellow Warbler sounded like, I didn't have to spend
15 minutes trying to see the "mystery singer," I knew what it was. Then I
could concentrate on the new song I didn't recognize and figure out what
that was.

When I got a job doing bird census work in forested habitat, I had to carry
a clipboard, walk a transect line, and write down which birds were there.
There wasn't time to chase down every sound.  I'd jumped into the deep end
of the pool and I had to learn to swim.  Some 80-90% of our detections were
audial, not visual.

You can learn bird songs by paying attention.  You can also learn by
attending Morning Birdsong Walks several days a week in Portland, joining
the Birding by Ear walks in Bend, or going out with experienced folks on
Wednesdays in Eugene and Bend.  Take the opportunity to learn.  If you start
early with the common birds and get them down, then you can add the migrants
as they arrive through the spring.

I will enhance your enjoyment of our feathered friends.

Good birding, everyone,

Paul Sullivan

---------------------------------
Subject: Playback/CA Towhee
Date: Tue Mar 10 2015 13:51 pm
From: timrodenkirk AT gmail.com 
...

....  Certainly, learning bird songs and calls makes finding birds so much
easier and negates the need to even use playback.  This is a great time to
learn bird songs and calls too.  You can start in your backyard and go from
there.  Many of the resident species have begun singing.  If you can figure
out their songs and 
calls while there are relatively few other birds singing, when the main wave
of migrants arrive in May, it will help you pick out species you do 
not know (or would like to see) that much easier.

....  So playback worked for me, but I hesitate to use it except in special
circumstances, and certainly it should not be used constantly in lieu of at
least learning a few bird calls. Besides, learning bird songs and calls adds
another dimension to the sport, a real fun one. Pishing is also a great way
to attract birds, give it a try sometime, it can work amazingly. There are
many bird species I actually get more pleasure hearing than seeing so
getting to know songs and calls is so much fun.

Bird On!

Tim Rodenkirk
Coos Bay



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[obol] Learning bird songs - especially in spring

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