Sounds Of The Night

[hiflier]

Hello Sasfooty,

 

Wow, been a long time! How are you?

[BigTreeWalker]

I agree on the Western Screech Owl. The only difference in the ones we have out west (Washington) is the rhythm is a little slower.

[Sasfooty]

Leopard frog is close but not quite the right pitch. And it's a faster sound, just like what flipper did in the show but lower pitch. Almost like laughter. Hmm.

 

Did it sound something like this, OKBFF?

 

Hey, Hiflier! Yes it has. Still hanging on, & how are you?

[Guest WesT]

That's actually pretty close! The looking for siblings and climbing sounds are the ones I am referring to.. Although what is hear is a little lower in pitch.

The distress call and looking for siblings both are somewhat similar to what I heard. What's different is that what I heard was more organized, stronger, and lower in pitch. Three short bursts, like, aagh aagh aagh, aagh aagh aagh, aagh aagh aagh. At the time I heard it I had just got done doing something that may have offended someone, or something.... and it may just be a coincidence also. But my interpretion at the time was an alarm of some sort.

Oh, meant to say, a cross between a Cicada and a Dolphin (not locust).

[hiflier]

Hello Sasfooty,

Hey, Hiflier! Yes it has. Still hanging on, & how are you?

I've been well thank you. Two Sons, two Daughters-in Law, and four grandchildren and they ALL keep me busy and appreciative......and laughing! Still learning a lot here too. Thanks for answering too. PM me a good ol' BF pic when you think of it BTW got a face-shape thread going. You're welcome to add anything if you care to but if not then take care and check in once in a while to let me know how you're doing. I'll do the same

[Guest]

Good morning.

I have been searching sound clips and reading until I can't see straight, trying to identify the sounds we heard and what could be making them. I didn't even know how to describe them. Thank you, Wes T, what you have just described above, with the three short bursts, is very, very close to what I heard!

They started out deep and gravelly, like clearing your throat really hard. Then it progressed to a higher pitched, but still deep OW. Three short bursts, very deep, VERY LOUD, and TOO close to me!! It completely shocked me. Stunned. Sat there dumbfounded. Our daughter was inside listening to her iPod and watching TV. She heard it and yelled, "What was that? Mom! Get inside!" I came in and stood at the glass storm door, shaking and watching. Never saw a thing.

We live in the woods, at the end/edge of a subdivision. There are fields to the east, divided by fence lines overgrown with trees and brush. Very thick brush. Then our yard. Woods to our west, dotted with a few houses. Very dense woods. Field behind us to the north.

I had finished cooking dinner and was sitting out on our front porch drinking tea and reading. I noticed the neighbors dogs barking, looked around, didn't see anything and went back to reading (Lee Child). A few minutes later a small herd of deer came running through our yard, south of our pond. We plant greens for them, but they didn't stop to eat that night. I remember thinking that some dogs were probably chasing them. It happens a lot around here, and it really bugs me! I settled back into my book and I hear this CRUNCH......CRUNCH......CRUNCH coming from the brush line, this side of the field. Three loud steps. Right up beside our house, maybe 25 feet from our porch, where I'm sitting! I thought, "someone is poaching those dear, and that --. --. B. is in our yard!" My mind was trying to process what I had seen, and was now hearing in the brush. Then I heard those sounds come from that spot. Guys, they vibrated right through me, like a rock concert. Our daughter heard it - inside. We've heard it twice since then, this summer.

We have lived in this area for 30 years and I am pretty familiar with the wildlife and insect sounds in this area. I don't know what this was. My first thought was cat. Big cat. No way a cat would make that much noise stalking prey. Footfalls weren't right. Fox? Maybe, but it sounded as big as an elephant. Again, footsteps weren't right. We have a beautiful fox around here. It NEVER makes that much noise going in and out of the woods. He usually shows himself to me, he doesn't hide. Plus, he's not that loud, even though they make a very similar sound. It didn't sound like any coyotes we've ever heard, and been hearing those around here for 20 years. I just can't identify what it was. It even crossed my mind that it was a hunter that used some kind of call to scare me inside, so he could cross through our yard. I think that's unlikely though.

Researching animal calls/sounds is how I inadvertently ended up here. I'm not saying it was a BF. I don't want it to be. They scare me. In fact, I have not listened to any recordings of them other than a whoop and a howl, once. I don't want to influence my ears, lol.

So thanks guys for the great discussion, sharing your thoughts and for posting the links, trying to help.

[Sasfooty]

Here is the recording that I thought I was posting on the other page. I think I cut off the part that I intended to post & kept the other part. Anyway, that part didn't have the "Flipper" chatter on it, but hopefully this one does.

 

Chatter.breathing. Howl.wav

[Guest WesT]

Hi BeachNut,

You're welcome. Interesting account. I know I haven't heard anything like it before or since. I might want to turn my attention to listening to primate vocalizations. I'm about half afraid I'll find a close match if I do.

If what you heard sounded like it was coming toward you (but was not) it just might have been a squatch.

I've already given the details of how I came to hear the whatever it was in another thread. But long story short, I had just taken some pictures of my friend standing beside, and then behind an artificially constructed hiding screen we had accidentally discovered. Shortly after that it started getting dark so we decided to head out and call it a day. Just as we were about to come out of the woods and into the cornfield that's when we heard it. And when we returned 3 days later the hiding screen was gone.

Hi Sasfooty! Thanks for posting the sound files. Not even close. (Drats)

[JKH]

Love to hear the recordings, thanks to all. Welcome, BeachNut, sounds like you should try some recording. Learning is a good antidote for fear, there is lots of information here.

 

I thought I'd post something interesting, last fall I mentioned that I'd heard some drumming type sounds more than once. Trying to organize and process my sound files, lots still to do, but I've found several like this. Must use headphones and high volume. There seems to be a more distant response in this recent one.

 

150812_02.wav

[Guest WesT]

JDL, if my memory serves me well, I think that Grouse make a drumming sound?

[JKH]

Hey Wes, if you mean me, that's not an option. These were recorded in the middle of the night. It's just something I'm observing that's interesting, rhythmic tapping or knocking sounds. I've found five so far.

Edited August 29, 2015 by JKH

[Guest WesT]

Yeah JKH, I got confused lol@me. I remember watching a nature program on TV that showed a bird making a drumming sound. I'll research it to get the facts.

[Guest WesT]

It's called a Ruffed Grouse and only the males do it and only in the spring to attract a mate. So if wasn't in spring when you heard the drumming it's something else....

[BigTreeWalker]

That is definitely not a ruffed grouse. They almost sound like an old tractor starting up. That is a more mechanical sound. It's more like the clack that train wheels make on a track. But I don't hear any other train sounds. The odd thing is the near and distant sounds are almost identical.

Here's a good video of raccoons chattering. It is a very flipper like sound. Never really thought of it that way before.

Edited August 29, 2015 by BigTreeWalker

[OKBFFan]

Coons definitely sound like the sound that I heard. Only issue is I can't picture a **** standing there for that length of time, not moving, not changing pitch, and chattering constantly. There has to be another answer.

Edited August 30, 2015 by OKBFFan