Thanks, all!
I'm no good at recording/videoing by night. However--
The sound resembles the call on Morcombe's mobile app, which he describes
thus: "...Also gives a single, sharp, penetrating, metallic 'aeiiirk!' "
The website of Graeme Chapman's lovely assortment does not include this
call.
Cheers,
Judith.
On 18 April 2015 at 17:09, Marie Tarrant <> wrote:
> Hi Jude,
> I believe we live in the same area. The Owlet Nightjar that was so
> reliable at my place recently would, without fail, give a call around 5am
> before it entered it's favourite hollow for the day. When I first became
> aware of it I checked out any hollows in the general direction and managed
> to spot it during the day. I don't know if it's still using the hollow as
> I'm away at the moment, but it was very reliable for a good month - so much
> so, it was like the proverbial Austrian clock cuckoo and I awaited it's 5am
> call and also knew it would be sitting at the front of the hollow around
> 9am each morning and around 3pm each afternoon.
> Marie
>
> On 18 April 2015 at 14:44, Peter Shute <> wrote:
>
>> "Metallic whip sound" doesn't sound quite right, but I suppose some of
>> the calls could be described that way. Have you listened to any recordings
>> to compare? Can you make a recording?
>>
>> Often they start calling at the entrance of their hole just before dark,
>> so you might be able to find it while it's still light. The hole can be
>> very small. I'm not sure if they use the same roost every day.
>>
>> This is Steven Debus's reply, from Shirley's reply:
>> Best detected by call at night, then approach the call with a spotlight.
>> Not much eyeshine. They can be seen by driving slowly around on bush
>> tracks, sometimes fly up from the ground. They call from their hollows
>> during the day, and may be seen at the entrance or they might flush out
>> when
>> approached (though vulnerable to attack when flushed, so I wouldn't
>> deliberately flush them). At dusk they emerge and fly around, though not
>> much more than a silhouette in that light level. In daytime or dusk their
>> flight is undulating like a rosella or shrike-thrush.
>>
>> Peter Shute
>>
>> Sent from my iPad
>>
>> > On 17 Apr 2015, at 7:23 pm, Judith L-A <>
>> wrote:
>> >
>> > Thank you. Was there an Attached reply from Steve Debus? I'm having
>> trouble
>> > opening it here.
>> >
>> > I'm at 500m in SEQ. The area is ex-dairy (previously red-cedar
>> > timber-getting), being now semi-rural /regrowth.
>> >
>> > Earlier I sent the following to Tim: I've never heard this call/sound on
>> > the place before, but can't think of what else it could be... It's a
>> > metallic whip! sound. My puzzle is how few hollows are close to the
>> > sound-source. Over the road & down the road there's some old hollows
>> left,
>> > but if the species' territory size is as small as the bird's size might
>> > suggest... well, I'm not surprised to have not heard it before.
>> >
>> > Meanwhile, I'm trying out these suggestions, but am having difficulty in
>> > the pitch-black locating the bird, which seems to fly/flee quite freely.
>> >
>> > Judith
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >> On 15 April 2015 at 16:38, Tim Dolby <> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Yes, agree with Angus, spotlighting would be a good way to see them!
>> :-)
>> >>
>> >> When spotlighting Owlet-nightjar I'd recommend holding the torch at eye
>> >> level and look straight down the beam of light. (This is actually a
>> good
>> >> way to spotlight most birds and mammals.) In the case of Owlet-nightjar
>> >> specifically I've found that, for some reason (perhaps the shape of
>> their
>> >> eyes?), if you don't do this, it can be a little hard to see their eye
>> >> shine, perhaps why Angus recommends using a headlamp.
>> >>
>> >> Cheers,
>> >>
>> >> Tim
>> >> ________________________________________
>> >> From: mcnabangus
>> >> Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2015 3:07 PM
>> >> To: Tim Dolby; ;
>>
>> >> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Owlet-Nightjar
>> >>
>> >> Hi judith,
>> >> I would suggest spotlighting them is much easier, using a headtorch is
>> >> fine. They have very obvious eyeshine and can be tracked down fairly
>> easily
>> >> when calling.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Cheers
>> >> Angus McNab
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> -------- Original message --------
>> >> From: Tim Dolby <>
>> >> Date:
>> >> To: Judith L-A <>,
>> >>
>> >> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Owlet-Nightjar
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Hi Judith,
>> >>
>> >> At night, when you hear it, you could try a little bit of
>> call-playback.
>> >> Not too much - you don't want to upset the bird in anyway - just
>> enough to
>> >> see if it comes in. Otherwise, often the best way to see Australian
>> >> Owlet-nightjar is to find their daytime roosting tree and hollow.
>> Scratch
>> >> the base of any tree that has small hollows. If present, the bird may
>> >> flush, thinking the noise is an intruder such as a Goanna. Interesting
>> to
>> >> know where you are you, urban or country?
>> >>
>> >> Cheers,
>> >>
>> >> Tim
>> >> ________________________________________
>> >> From: Birding-Aus on behalf of
>> >> Judith L-A
>> >> Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2015 12:51 PM
>> >> To:
>> >> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Owlet-Nightjar
>> >>
>> >> Possibly there's an Owlet-Nightjar on my place. Are there any tips out
>> >> hereon how to sight them???
>> >> Judith
>> >>
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>
>
> --
> Marie Tarrant
> Kobble Creek, Qld
>
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