[mou] Carolina Wren? Northern Mockingbird? Tufted Titmouse? RiceLake Refuge

[Steve Weston]

Some years ago I had a bird singing "Peter, Peter, Peter" at Seven Mile
Creek.  the song to me was identical to the Stokes tape of the Titmouse to
which it was very responsive.  The bird never came out of the dense
undergrowth.  Several years later I found another bird singing the same
song.  I again was sure I had a Titmouse, until I found the Carolina Wren.
I am now sure the first bird was also a Carolina Wren, especially given its
singing from a hidden low perch.

I am dubious about the possibility of it being a Mockingbird.  Even though
the Mockingbird will imitate a Titmouse, it varies its song greatly and will
not keep repeating the same song.  I have found that when it imitates other
birds, it sings much quieter.

While the other birds sing almost always (and perhaps only)  from elevated 
perches, the Carolina Wren will sing from hidden perches close to the 
ground.

Steve Weston
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pastor Al Schirmacher" <pastoral at princetonfreechurch.net>
To: <mou-net at moumn.org>; <mnbird at lists.mnbird.net>
Sent: Monday, June 23, 2008 9:48 AM
Subject: [mou] Carolina Wren? Northern Mockingbird? Tufted Titmouse?
RiceLake Refuge


> There has been some excellent dialogue on the identity of the heard bird
> on
> the Aitkin field trip Saturday.
>
> The bird sang repeatedly for a couple of minutes, then shut down.  The
> song
> could easily be transliterated as "Peter, Peter, Peter", but with an
> occasional two note ending as well, and much more musical than Tufted
> Titmice that I've historically heard in southern Wisconsin over the years
> (former residence).  It was very loud/emphatic.
>
> About half the group joined searched visually for the bird, but we were
> hampered by the ponds and under/overgrowth.  We did glimpse furtive
> movement
> around a cavity, but never had anything like definite views (as noted in
> the
> original email).
>
> We came to the conclusion that the closest song was a Carolina Wren after
> playing a CD - believe it was the second or third set of calls on Stokes
> (?)
> that was a match - one person noted a short response from the bird while
> playing it.
>
> Today I read an equally plausible audio ID:  Northern Mockingbird.  This
> comes from the gentleman who originally heard it while doing a BBS last
> week.  Mockingbirds have been seen in this refuge on a number of occasions
> by staff (and others) - whereas Carolina Wren is a statistical anomaly
> there.
>
> So we need a good visual ID!  The bird was singing in the (right side of
> road) pond with dead snags a few hundred yards or so before one completes
> the loop and begins heading out again.
>
> Good birding to all!
>
> Al Schirmacher
> Princeton, MN
> Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties
>
>
>
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