FW: Songlark perhaps - PS

["Philip Veerman" <>]

Margaret,

 

The song of the Rufous Songlark is very distinctive but also quite varied, two main song phrases are used, it is a very squeaky sound (as distinct from the creaky Brown Songlark) so don't expect random samples on the internet to be identical. (Why would they be?). What you wrote fits Rufous Songlark, as a fair to very good description of its song, flight song behaviour and appearance. The dull rufous rump should show if you get a top view. Although maybe if Up to half a dozen birds would have been involved, but not together, they did their thing individually. My guess is more likely that you were seeing a mixed collection of Rufous Songlarks, Pipits and / or Skylarks. First check on a book and maybe go and see if the Rufous Songlark & Skylark I wrote about yesterday at Tuggeranong are still there for comparison.

 

Philip

 

-----Original Message-----From: Margaret Leggoe [ Sent: Saturday, 14 September 2013 12:24 PMTo:       Subject: [canberrabirds] FW: Songlark perhaps - PS

PS.  When I got home I listened to what I could find on the internet in terms of bird calls of the rufous songlark and Australasian pipit.  The songlark call was similar but not identical to what I had heard, and none of the recordings I listened to were much good anyway.

 

From: Margaret Leggoe [ Sent: Saturday, 14 September 2013 12:14 PM      To:
Subject: Songlark perhaps

 

I’m a bit reluctant to ask for an ID without any image, but I am very curious.  This morning I went for a walk around the bare paddock opposite the RSPCA at Weston because I was intrigued by a strident bird song that was new to me.  I determined this much:

·         Up to half a dozen birds would have been involved, but not together, they did their thing individually.

·         The bird was about the size of an Australasian pipit.

·         It was fawn in colour with rusty spots on the upper parts.

·         It was most vocal whilst on the wing, and flew round and round in circles above the bare ground.

·         The call was a series of strident cheeps and whirring.

·         At one stage a calling pair stopped calling and went from the top of lamp poles down into a creek together.

Has anyone else seen these birds, and what are they?

Thank you

Margaret Leggoe