new sounds

I'm always on the alert for unusual sounds -- songs or calls -- when I'm out strolling and this morning I had two mysteries. The first was a swooping sound, almost a shriek but more mellow. To my surprise, I located the caller: a Blue Jay! I know that jays have a lot of calls (they don't sing but they're the most vocal of song birds) and I thought I knew most of the calls but this one was a new one on me. My thought was that it was warning its fellow jays of a predator in the neighborhood but I couldn't find the object of its warnings (unless it was me!).

The other was a distinctive buzz which I was sure was a unfamiliar warbler song. Both Black-throated Blues and Black-throated Greens have buzzy songs or calls but this was almost toneless compared with those distinctive vocalizations. Later in the morning, as I was walking back from town, I heard it again in the same spot as before. I dashed back to the house, got my binoculars and came back to the spot determined to find the culprit. And I did find it. It was a Song Sparrow. Now I've heard a lot of variation in Song Sparrows songs but this was the dinkiest and least melodious yet from Melospiza melodia!

A few new birds (i.e. FOY -- first of the year). On or over the water: loudly calling Willets, rattling Belted Kingfisher, noisy Canada Goose and less noisy Mute Swan. On land, a singing House Finch. Flocks of Common Grackles still moving around with no sign of pairing off or nesting. A solitary Chimney Swift was early. Otherwise just the usual suspects.

Eric Salzman