Subject: [Tweeters] Unknown bird call in Edmonds (EDCC campus)
Date: Mar 13 03:06:49 2013
From: Christy RJ - christyrj at hotmail.com


Greetings Tweeters,

I was on the campus of Edmonds C.C. for work yesterday morning around 10:15a and heard an unusual (to me) bird call that immediately caught my attention. I've been birding for several years and have been trying to learn bird calls; this one stood out to me as unique, but I don't claim to for sure know all variations of springtime calls for our local regulars. I was headed to a meeting and delayed myself outside so I could keep listening and scanning the trees, it caught my attention that much. I became the "weirdo" standing and gawking into the trees, trying to identify the source of the call. :] It was *quite* loud...

I have a terrible memory for sound recall, so I can't describe it well. I did try to record it on my phone - but naturally the bird called only once more after I started recording, and seemed to fly off to farther reaches of campus after that. I could clearly hear another bird answering the first's call, but the answer was much more of an "I'm still here" "chip-chip" and was not at all a mimicry of the first call that I heard repeatedly. Sadly, my recording on my phone was lousy, and it further degraded after the first replaying. :(

Still, the sound included clear staccato in a seeming triplicate, I think, or perhaps quadruple, plus a following sort of trill or added notes. I recall the series being *very* loud and very clear. I never did get a visual on the bird - it was moving about in the trees overhead some, though not like a constant-moving warbler. But it did move first north and then south and then still further south within roughly 5 minutes' time. It was loud, clear, vibrant, beautiful, high up in the trees; I can't believe I couldn't spot it (naked eye; my binocs were in my car) so I assume it was relatively small and/or well hidden....

It was a beautiful, ear-catching, unique call. It's driving me crazy that I have no idea what it was!

I don't expect anyone to know based on my poor description, but I'll happily entertain all guesses. :] I wonder what might just be "passing through," on to another destination, something I've not encountered before... ?

Christy in Kenmore