Whatbird.com

There was a bird in the woods outside my house yesterday that kept calling, but I could not spot it and I have no idea what it was. Calls are one area I really need to improve on in my birding, and I am working on doing so.

But the call was three notes/whistles, and it kept doing this over and over again. It was like "HI-low-medium", I don't really know how else to describe it. It just kept doing that but I couldn't find it! It was infuriating. This kind of thing is why I love birding, it can be such a challenge! 

 Sorry about the minimal information, but can anyone give me some ideas as to what this could be? If I hear the call again I'll know exactly what it is. I have a feeling it's something common but I did not recognize the call. Thanks for any help.

Could be a white-throated sparrow.  Their songs very often sound like that.

I know exactly what you are talking about, it drives me crazy when I hear a new bird and I can't find it.

I've heard a Northern Mockingbird make a call like you are describing. It sat and repeated the same call over and over for almost forty-five minutes.

The Blue Jay could be another possibility, I've heard them mimic the call of other birds.

 

Have you tired the WhatBird search engine? They have added bird sounds and calls to the search query, you might have some luck there.

 

I hope you find it!

White throated sparrow is possible. The song isn't exactly the same but the whistles sound just like it. Mockingbirds and Blue Jays mimicking just throws a monkey wrench in the whole thing. I'll probably never know what it actually was. Mockingbird was definitely one of my thoughts though.

 It did make it for a long time, I don't know why I never spotted it! Thing is there was a mockingbird in the area but it was not the thing singing. Doesn't mean there wasn't another one, however. I'll keep on looking for the exact sound. 

The thing about the white-throated sparrow's song is that most of the recordings you'll hear of it are the full song with the 11 separate notes, but in winter I mostly hear them doing a softer, more abbreviated version of the song with 3-5 notes instead.

http://www.learnbirdsongs.com/

http://www.enature.com/birding/audio.asp

http://www.naturesongs.com/birds.html

---

"Watch the birdie."
Latest: Sage Thrasher, Ferruginous Hawk (Dark Morph).

check out the black-capped chickadee spring song at the sites luv2bird posted.

Scott

Actually, in Baltimore it would be a Carolina chickadee, but I thought of that possibility as well.

---

"I put it down. you gotta pick it up." —Thelonious Monk