Greetings, All;
Perhaps someone out there might recognize the mystery sound I've been
hearing.
Lately, I've been hearing a new sound after dark, sometimes late at night.
It sounds like a soft raspy dry cough with a whispered quality to it. Almos=
t
always in two's, but just a few minutes ago, I picked up a softer "cough"
note at the beginning. There is a long (10-15 sec.) pause between
utterances. It vaguely sounds like a distant hoarse dogbark, but not like
the yipping puppy sound that I recall of the Short-eared Owl.
At first it was stationary, and seemed to be a distance away, coming from a
distance down a wooded island across the Hudson River from me. At first, I
was thinking that it was some mammal.Tonight (as I am putting this note
together) the sound has been rather mobile, suggesting a night flying bird.
I heard it on my outside monitor, coming from quite a distance. But, after =
I
stepped outside, it came a lot closer, passing over the island (about 1000
feet away) in the dark, then turning back south, returning to a distance
away. It is now barely audible on my monitor (nursery room monitor see
"Winging It" July 2002 p. 8) - suggesting that it is about a
mile away by now.
[As I am re-reading this note, the sound is returning nearer]
I tried to pick up the sound on my camcorder when I went outside, but won't
know how that worked until I get to play it back.
Any suggestions for the ID of the "mystery night whisperer "?
Rich Guthrie
New Baltimore
The Greene County (but not for long)
New York
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
|