Thank you Debbi, Barney, and Martyn for your replies.
You all agree recording #2 is a Western Screech Owl, and I'll consider
that pretty much solid. For recording #1, you all agree it is a
rodent, and Martyn narrows it to likely a Least chipmunk. I am still
not convinced it is a rodent, in fact I still feel fairly strongly it
may be a call from a Northern Pygmy owl, and this is why.
I watched while I recorded as the small owl repeated the same behavior
several times: landing on juniper tree (tree A) beside me, flying up
to another juniper (tree B) about 20 feet away, making a scolding
chatter sound, and flying back to the tree beside me.
My visual ID of the Northern Pygmy Owl was very certain, but I have
not yet found reference to this type of call from a pygmy owl. I am a
little troubled by the prospect that even though I watched as the owl
made this call, it may have actually been from a rodent or other bird
somewhere acoustically aligned. Still the pattern is tight enough to
suggest the call came from the owl.
Listening again to the recording:
http://www.rockscallop.org/test/jh-070620-1200.mp3
0:05 chatter call as owl appears on the left
0:06-0:10 Raspy squeaks from?
0:14 flutter and landing as the owl flies in from tree on the left and
lands on Tree A beside me.
0:18-0:20; Raspy squeaks from?
0:24.5-0:27.5 Launch, wing flutter, and landing as owl moves to Tree B
(this is where I got my fist visual)
0:28.3-0:29.3 Chatter call.
0:30.9-0:33.5 Launch, wing flutter, and landing as owl moves back to
Tree A.
1:19-1:21.8 Launch, wing flutter, and landing back to Tree B.
1:22.8-1:25.2 Chatter call.
1:34 Raspy trill from?
1:38.9-1:40.5 Chatter call.
~1:40-2:15 I got a good visual of small owl facing me while perched on
branch of Tree. It turned its head revealing dark eye spots on back
of head thus identifying as Northern Pygmy Owl.
2:19.6-2:22.6 Launch, wing flutter, and chatter as owl flies off,
(notice how the chatter call seems to fade into distance along with
the wing flutter)
Any further observations and comments are welcomed.
John Hartog
P.S
Sorry to those who could not access the files. There were some server
problems with my web host over the last 24 hours or so - should be
resolved now.
>
> On Nov 22, 2007, at 1:07 PM, John Hartog wrote:
>
> > Dear group,
> >
> > Here are two recordings from different locations of an animal making a
> > scolding chatter sound. Any opinions or guesses regarding species
> > (and for the insects too) will be greatly appreciated.
> >
> > The first was recorded June 20 2007 in central Oregon on a desert
> > plateau above the Crooked River Canyon. I had stopped to sit in the
> > shade and to test my gear under a juniper tree around noon. Pardon
> > the passing truck on the highway.
> >
> > Recording #1 (2:45min, 3.1MB)
> > http://www.rockscallop.org/test/jh-070620-1200.mp3
> > Recorded with Sony RH10 HiMD, two AT 3032's, and a homemade Jecklin
> > Disc style barrier. EQ: slight high-pass to the wind rumble.
> >
> > The second was recorded September 20 2007 in southern Oregon along the
> > Illinois River at Store Gulch. The twilight had just given to
> > darkness, and we were sipping hot toddies in camp beneath the oak
> > canopy when this visitor stopped by for a few minutes. Pardon the
> > human murmurs.
> >
> > Recording #2 (1min, 1.1MB)
> > http://www.rockscallop.org/test/jh-070920-1945.mp3
> > Recorded with SD 702, two Rode NT1A's, and my homemade elliptical
> > wedge style barrier.
> >
> > and Happy Thanksgiving!
> > John Hartog
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
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