[mou] Lake Shetek SP

[Chad Heins]

Hey birders!

I just spent an enjoyable weekend at Lake Shetek State
Park in Murray County.

I have two things to note.

First, their fish ponds are currently drawn down
revealing some nice shorebird habitat.  Lesser
Yellowlegs, Killdeer, and Least Sandpipers were seen
on Friday and Saturday.

Second, there was an interesting pair of pewees
singing near the state park's interpretive center.  

In my experience, Eastern Wood-Pewees have two primary
songs: the pee-aweee (dominantly) and pee-yeer
(descending).  

The two birds (mated pair?) that woke me up this
morning added a third song that sounded very Western
Wood-Peweeish.  They would alternate the typical songs
with a "burr-bur'ry" that was distinctly different (to
the point of obvious).  A typical  sequence would go
like this: pee-aweee, burr-burry, pee-awee,
burr-burry, pee-yeer, burr-burry, pee-awee,
burr-burry, etc...

The "burr" was slower than the "burry" which had a
strikingly similar cadence (not sound) to the quick
"bee-bee" of the Eastern Phoebe.  Also of interest,
this song was only heard before dawn.  After the sun
came up, I only heard the typical Eastern Wood-Pewee
vocalizations.  I also heard this alternate song
briefly on Friday night (after sunset) but could make
no sense of it.  Regardless, it was pretty dark both
times.  

In my 15 years of birding I have never heard this
vocalization out of an Eastern Wood-Pewee.  I have
heard something frighteningly similar from a Western
Wood-Pewee however.  I understand that birds at this
time of year are not pumped up on hormones and change
their songs, but normally that results in sloppy
singing or shortening of the songs not improvisation
or release of an entirely new album.  

So...anyone out there have any thoughts?  Hybrids? 
Western Wood-Pewees trying to fit in?  Other?

Regardless of what the conclusion of this matter is,
it is always nice to learn that there is always more
to learn about what you think you know.

Happy Birding!

Chad Heins
Mankato, MN





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