bo, bo, bo, bo - what is it?

[Broch]

OK, not a very good description I know, but I was working in the wood today and some type of beasty (I assume bird) started making this noise - bo, bo, bo, bo (or it may have been do, do, do, do). Always four and about two bo's per second. It went on for quite a while.


Anybody got any ideas as to what it could be? If it's any help, oak and ash woodland in mid Wales.

Cheers,

Broch

 

[baggins]

Oh Ah Bird???

 

[Bigfoot]

My first thought was the booming call of a Bittern but they tend to be found in reed and marsh environments. Anything like that near to your woodland? The call carries a very long way. Sound file in the link below.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/b/bittern/index.aspx

 

[Herbalist1]

Doesn't sound like a bittern - they have a very distinctive two part boom, not a repeated single sound and don't repeat in set blocks of 4. It's the males that boom, usually in the spring - and yes it is a bird of reed beds.

 

[Broch]

Nope, no reed marsh near. But the sound was definitely in the wood!
I've just been through my 'Chirp' app and the only thing that comes close is the short eared owl but they usually make more than 4 hoots.
I'm out there again tomorrow; if I hear it again I'll try and track it down!

Cheers,

Broch

 

[Blundstoned Love]

I think you will find it's a crowd, after all "the crowd say bo selecta"

 

[crosslandkelly]

The Lesser Spotted Diddley?

 

[Robbi]

perhaps a Duckdo ?

 

[boney gumbo mcgee]

perhaps a Duckdo ?

Might be a Henweigh.

 

[Wander]

Sounds very much like a Haggis to me.
Most people associate them with moorland but they also thrive in woodland.
As you get close to the bird's roost you will also notice a monotonous drone behind its call.

 

[Joe tahkahikew]

I have heard some deer make this kind of noise sometimes during breeding seasons.

 

[Broch]

I'll go with that. I won't shoot it though, let it breed and look forward to Burn's
Cheers,
Broch

 

[Broch]

Joe, thanks, a sensible idea at last although I still think it may be a Haggis (actually Joe, do you know what a haggis is? - that joke maybe lost on non-Brits!).

Fortunately, for my wood, we don't have any deer at all. The only 'barking' deer we have in the UK is Muntjac to the best of my knowledge and that's much harsher throaty sound.

I'm back out there today; I'll try and track it down.

Cheers,

Broch

 

[Trencakey]

A Roe Deer will bark like a dog when alarmed.

 

[Broch]

I've never really thought of the sound a Roe Deer makes as a bark to be honest - more a loud 'snort' (well the ones I've heard). I suppose it could be on the harsher end of a bark, more a 'woof' than a 'bow wow' (isn't it difficult to describe animal noises - or is it just me?
Cheers,
Broch

 

[Broch]

It was back today and I can now reveal that it was ....

A Raven!

I've never hear a Raven making that noise before (actually more a Wow Wow Wow Wow Wow Wow - 5 today not 4).

Cheers,

Broch

 

[Joe tahkahikew]

Well, good identified.

I'd not thought maybe you had ravens. I heard one raven in England but he sounded a little bit different from our birds. He's good for telling us where the animals are in winter - they follow them and are always noisey!!

Do I know what a haggis is? I had one for food in Scotland!!

We have Apinci'nis, who is a hairy small person - very strong|!! and lives in the remote forests. If he's in bad mood he'll steal our children. If he's in a good mood he'll guide hunters back to camp in the old days.
Also there is Misi-kine'bik which has horns and lives in our big lakes and he eats people sometimes. And Piy'es'ew, the big bird we used to hear flap their huge wings as flew over our forests.