It's hard to say much about subtle audio distinctions without being able to hear a recording of the sound. Even a cellphone or small digital video camera can often capture an acceptable sound sample. When Lesser Nighthawks show up in the eastern states (which is very very very rarely), they are usually found flying in daylight, not calling at night.
Bill Pulliam Hohenwald TN On Aug 4, 2014, at 10:45 AM, Reese, Carol wrote:
Happened to be on a website concerned with nightjar research and conservation and clicked on the sound recordings to listen to the different nightjars.Here is the site: http://www.nightjars.org/learnI am fairly certain that I have been hearing the call described at the lesser nightjar’s “toad like trill” in the evenings at my house in northern Henderson County. I often walk the dogs out onto the driveway and listen for the whippoorwills, and have on several occasions heard this trill, usually if I go out just as dusk turns into dark. In fact, thought to myself about the similarity of the call to American toad, but knew it was not, and thought about how it reminded me of the screech owl’s whinny, but yet very different.Is there another bird that could make a sound like this? I see that it is not usually found in Tennessee. Could the call be a variation by the screech owl?cr "There are some who can live without wild things and some who cannot.” — Aldo Leopold Carol Reese Ornamental Horticulture Specialist -Western District University of Tennessee Extension Service 605 Airways Blvd. Jackson TN 38301 731 425 4767 email jreese5@xxxxxxx
