[croutonmac]

This is my first post so 'Hi' to you all. I moved to Leitrim a couple of years ago and have seen a lot of the local wildlife, sometimes at very close quarters. I got to do a bit of bat rescuing and had a pine marten move into my home for a couple of weeks, dismantling my kitchen twice.

Anyway, I've been hearing a bird calling at night in the fields at night in Roscommon. I think it's calling from quite down low. The call is two raspy, harsh tones without a huge difference between the notes.

Would anyone have any ideas?

[whyulittle]

Corncrake?

[LostCovey]

Originally Posted by croutonmac

This is my first post so 'Hi' to you all. I moved to Leitrim a couple of years ago and have seen a lot of the local wildlife, sometimes at very close quarters. I got to do a bit of bat rescuing and had a pine marten move into my home for a couple of weeks, dismantling my kitchen twice.

Anyway, I've been hearing a bird calling at night in the fields at night in Roscommon. I think it's calling from quite down low. The call is two raspy, harsh tones without a huge difference between the notes.

Would anyone have any ideas?

Corncrake, hopefully!

Listen here:

http://www.corncrake.net/sounds/mnacht.mp3

What do you think?


LostCovey

[LostCovey]

Originally Posted by whyulittle

Corncrake?

great minds, etc!

[croutonmac]

Thanks for that. I think the notes were longer and it just calls once or twice and goes quiet again. I've heard it only about three times so I'm not a hundred percent on it, but I think the second note is higher than the first, in so far as they are notes at all and both are 'fuller' than the corncrake sounds above.

[OpenYourEyes]

Can I ask what part of Roscommon? And/or what the fields and nearby habitats are like?

[croutonmac]

It's the Croghan/Finnor area, near Carrick-on-Shannon. It's mostly grass fields with sheep and cattle, lots of hedgerows and trees but not forest land. It's pretty wet and often boggy a lot of the time, due to bad drainage from the clay, and it's within half a mile of two lakes. There's a reasonable amount of rough ground too, the fields wouldn't be too manicured.

[Traonach]

Might have been a sedge warbler??
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/bird...ler/index.aspx . Click on the audio link.

[swifts need our help!]

Grasshopper warblers sing at night


Sedge warbler


Mark

[croutonmac]

It definitely to harsh to be a warbler. It's a two tone scratchy noise and the corncrake is the closest so far. I haven't heard it the last couple of nights so I can't be sure it wasn't one, but it was just a couple of calls and didn't go on as long as the corncrake seems to. The individual notes of the call seemed longer than the corncrake's too but til I hear it again I just can't be sure.

Thanks for your suggestions. The warblers are lovely.

[swifts need our help!]

The Corncrake says its latin name. A repeating crex crex, crex crex ....

[St. Leibowitz]

Phesant maybe ??

[croutonmac]

Aw, man! That might be it and I seem to be a bit disappointed. For some reason that never occurred to me and I think you might be right. It's certainly closer to the sound I remember: I'll have to listen out for it and play the audio track just after to be sure.

Thanks!

[swifts need our help!]

Originally Posted by croutonmac

Anyway, I've been hearing a bird calling at night in the fields at night in Roscommon. I think it's calling from quite down low. The call is two raspy, harsh tones without a huge difference between the notes.

Pheasants don't call at night. Maybe if startled but not every night

Mark

[croutonmac]

I wouldn't say this thing was startled as such, just calling so maybe not a pheasant after all. I'm holding out for something more exotic...