Environment

Bird call - any ideas?

We have been living in thiscountry house in East Kent with a large garden & plenty of mature trees, surrounded by fields and woodland, for 24 years, but I am not aware of hearing this bird call before. It began a month or so ago, waking me every morning at the crack of dawn (window open) and often heard during the day, above the sounds of other birds. I have not heard it for the past few days, so it may have moved on. A friend who lives about 10 miles away has also noticed one in his garden. The sound is not a melodious one. It is an ear-piercing, shrill noise that sounds a like a car alarm going off, but a slightly different note, sometimes with a barely noticeable lower short note between blasts. When gardening, the sound has been so ear-piercing that I want to cover my ears if it is nearby. I have never been able to see the culprit. It did cross my mind that it could be mimicking a car alarm, but the sound is not quite the same except in volume and rhythm, and I have not heard a real car-alarm go off around here for years. Any ideas?

crockshard Wed 18/06/08 20:01

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Kleiber
Wed 18/06/08
21:28

Hmmm - could be anything, but maybe a starling 'cos they imitate all sorts of noises. I get woken by a wren every morning - they have a really loud song for such a little bird!

crockshard
Thurs 19/06/08
08:23

Question Author

It woke me again this morning. If I saw it amd had a gun I would be tempted to shoot it!

terambulan
Thurs 19/06/08
16:41

Starlings are usually in flocks. Could it be my pet-hate the magpie?

Woodpeckers screech but are shy and wouldn't be near if you were visible.

If all other birds are quiet and hidden then it could be a kestrel.

If the bird only screeches wen ur visible then you're too near its nest.

crockshard
Thurs 19/06/08
17:05

Question Author

I know what woodpeckers and kestrels sound like, and rarely see starlings here these days. And it starts its rhythmic, staccato piping when everyone is out of view and supposed to be asleep!...

sir.prize
Thurs 19/06/08
20:05

The Green Woodpecker on this website might be the culprit

http://www.10x50.com/sounds.htm

Kleiber
Thurs 19/06/08
22:17

Maybe a Great Tit. There's one little blighter who sits on a tree outside my bedroom window every morning in spring/summer and has such a piercing song! I got to the point of almost murder last year, but when I discovered what it was, I thought, "aw...sweet!". He's still doing it (love him!!) and I never get much sleep after about 5a.m.

crockshard
Thurs 19/06/08
22:23

Question Author

No, we have lots of green (and greater spotted) woodpeckers around here, and definitely not this. But great web link for quick identification of other birds. I have also been through the sounds on 'Brett Westwood's Guide to British Birdsong' (BBC Radio 4 interactive website link from 'A Guide to Woodland Birds' Sunday afternoon programme ), and found nothing on there...

crockshard
Thurs 19/06/08
22:42

Question Author

It may be a Great Tit, Kleiber. I went back to the Brett Westwood Guide I mentioned above, and, although my 'car alarm' bird sound is not the same as the recording (which isat least two different notes in a double rhythm), the pitch is similar and Brett Westwood says they make a wide variety of piercing calls. So this may well be the answer!

Kleiber
Thurs 19/06/08
23:04

Glad we're narrowing it down, crockshard! I couldn't work out what it was that was making such a racket outside the window, then I spotted him one morning. He'll give up soon, don't worry - he's probably got a mate & babies by now, but once the little ones have fledged, he'll quieten down - till next year!!!

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