Subject: birds that sound like a rattlesnake (?)
Date: Feb 8 20:04:15 2004
From: Kelly Cassidy - lostriver at completebbs.com


There aren't any rattlesnakes, or any other venomous snakes in Centralia, so you don't have to worry about going out to the feeder, unless your neighbors are deranged reptile collectors who've let some of the collection loose. There are snakes that vibrate their tails to make dead leaves sound like rattles, but I don't think any of the western Washington species do that. (Not sure.) Anyway, this isn't the time of year you'd expect to see a lot of snakes moving around.

House Wrens have a buzzy call that sounds kind of rattler-like, but House Wrens leave the state for winter. Bewick's Wrens also have a sort of buzzy call but not (to my ears) as buzzy as a House Wren, and not very rattler-like. Bewick's Wrens are around all year. Spotted Towhee, as someone else mentioned, might be a possibility, since they have a trilling song. Chipping Sparrows also make a dry trill, but they are highly unlikely in winter.

Kelly Cassidy
Pullman, where any hint of cold-blooded life this time of year would be a welcome sign of spring.