Hi Tweets,

Michael B. Brown writes:

>I'll check into this one, though I think what I heard was "peeeer".

European Starling Sturnus vulgaris utters both a long skirling note and a
more throaty long-held note that could fit this description. A better
candidate, though, might be an off-key Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius, which
also has a burry skirling note that could fit the bill nicely both for the
pitch and quality of this call as well--a Varied Thrush mumbling to itself
has fooled me before by suggesting the calls of other species--as being much
more appropriate for time of year (all good little pewees should be snug in
South America right now). Though we tend to think of Varied Thrush as a
ground- or understorey species, particularly in winter, they often will
climb surprisingly high up in trees to sing or call even at this time of
year. But what was the context? The habitat? Where was the bird calling
from? How often? What else was in the vicinity?

Typically, Western Wood-Pewee Contopus sordidulus doesn't content itself
with just one utterance but calls pretty frequently from an open perch at
the edge of the forest.

Michael Price A brave world, Sir,
Vancouver BC Canada full of religion, knavery and change;
mprice at mindlink.net we shall shortly see better days.
Aphra Behn (1640-1689)