Viewing entries tagged
Golden Oriole

Newport Wetlands @ Sunset

After my last post and possible finding a Golden Oriole, there has naturally been some questioning and debates about the sound file I've posted. It's not as straight forward as it appears with all the mimicking species of bird there are in the Uk. It's that reason that the last two nights I've re-visted the same area to study all the Blackbird and Thrushes of the area to see whether they possess any 'oriole' like qualities. Considering most birds are already breeding, if there was a Blackbird with an oriole like phrase, I would have been able to pick this up again. 

I didn't however find any resemblance of the sound I recorded on the 5th of May. The recording is being examined by local expert so hopefully will get some confirmation soon. Either way I'm happy with what I recorded despite it being in the background. I've certainly never heard that song before and will continue to look out for these birds in the future. 

Last two days have been completely different for sound recording however.. with gusts on the coastal path averaging from 10-30mph, which is no good for sound recording. Despite this I did manage a few Cuckoo recordings and a windy Grasshopper Warbler recording, but I won't be posting these as I believe I can do better. Instead, below the pictures I'll conclude with a Blackcap song which literally was my conclusion to the end of today as I got back to my car. 

Sedge Warbler and something extra special!

The 5th of May last week was a busy evening... I had so much planned and went way past my expectations with perfect weather conditions for both photography and sound recording. I have about 3 days maximum like that a year.. it was really that good!. 

Anyway, listening back to this recording below of a Sedge Warbler, I found something I did not expect, and I only wished I had noticed it in the field! 

This recording includes the low rumble of a distant shipping going down the severn estuary about a mile away but what was most interesting about this recording was what happened after. 

In the recording below, if you haven't read the title already is a distant Golden Oriole! You have to listen hard for it though.. its just after the distracting passing Shelduck. 

This isn't a first for Newport Wetlands, in-fact, there was another recorded last year in the same spot! So it is very likely that it could be the same bird or just a hotspot for passing migrants as it is the first and only large woodland for miles along the estuary. 

Lets not take too much away from that beautiful Sedge Warbler song though! Got to love a bit of Sedge Warbler.. Not quite a Golden Oriole though uh? I only wished I had noticed this recording sooner. It's not like me to miss something as important as this.