Strange bird

[Myrkk]

I've been meaning to post this on here since last winter...... we had a bird in the woods next to us which made a call like a football rattle.. the ones you spin around on a stick..... It was quite large, slightly bigger than wood pigeon I would say although it was a distance away and looked white or light in colour.

Any suggestions as to what it was. I've never seen or heard anything like it. From a bit of research I've only managed to come up with a shrike but I don't think that's correct.

[alan refail]

Hi Myrkk

Was it a mistle thrush?

Check this out.

Alan

[Myrkk]

Hmm, the audio isn't quite right. It was a really harsh noise compared to that rattle.

[Lyn]

It might have been a woodpecker - their "drumming" noise sounds like a rattle.

[Geoff]

How about the "Yaffle" of a Green Woodpecker?

[Myrkk]

nope, it really is a harsh rattle like a wooden football rattle ratchet or like pulling your handbrake on without using the button..... It's really puzzling me. We've lived here nearly 4 years and never heard or seen anything like it before.

[Johnboy]

Hi myrkk,
To be bigger than a Wood Pigeon it has got to be a game bird of some sort. Male Red Legged Partridges make a churring noise when calling in their females but not quite the same as a football rattle.
JB.

[Diane]

This may help - http://www.bl.uk/collections/sound-archive/wild.html

[Birkward]

Hi there I am new to the forum hence the very late reply to the query on the strange bird. It could well be a Jay or a magpie, they sound like a match box being rattled!

[Norfolkbird]

ditto me, Birkward! Hope it's not too late to answer! I think the bird may have been a Corncrake - although I don't think they are normally found in Wales. Have a listen to the "Calls of the Corncrake" at the website below (I'd go for the first file - "characteristic rasping call of the male"):

http://www.corncrake.net/steckbrief_e.htm

[GIULIA]

I'd guess that's a Jay from the description, look beautiful sound awful. Here in Liverpool we call them typical 'scallies'and we have quite a colony of them. Little known fact, they steal potatoes! Leave a couple of little ones out on the lawn and see if they come and have a snack on them.

[Myrkk]

Hi,

We do have jays and magpies in the garden. It just looked too pale to be a jay but it was a distance away so probably was but I'm too myopic to see it lol.