Reply to: Bird advice

[Bee]

I hear birds singing and tweeting after midnight in my area. The sound varies due to exactly where I am.

It is also well documented that robins sing at night due to street lights.

Yes, the street light has a lot of influence but they also became alarmed when previewing storms, climate changes, earthquakes, etc...

[RSoles]

Not sure how far south you are, but when I lived in Sussex we had a similar occurrence with a cricket in a nearby tree.
It was around this time of year too.

[d000hg]

I say just outside the door, but at night things sound that way... I'm fairly sure it's in the tree canopy just a few yards away. It's pretty much every night, late, so for it to be the same spot makes me think something is roosting/living there.

I like having critters around - though this is the least tuneful one I've ever heard - just wondering what it could be. We have wild peacocks around here and they're noisy, tuneless things but none have taken residence in our garden

[BrilloPad]

Most birds that aren't nocturnal will be tucked up asleep when it's dark, they won't make any noise. I'd almost put money on it not being a small bird.
When you say "outside the door" do you mean it's at ground level (or at least not up in a tree), if so it's an animal, not a bird. Owls will only tend to call when up in trees. When they are down low they tend to be hunting, which requires stealth.
It could be a fox.

I reckon thieves making off with a generator...

[SueEllen]

Most birds that aren't nocturnal will be tucked up asleep when it's dark, they won't make any noise. I'd almost put money on it not being a small bird.
When you say "outside the door" do you mean it's at ground level (or at least not up in a tree), if so it's an animal, not a bird. Owls will only tend to call when up in trees. When they are down low they tend to be hunting, which requires stealth.
It could be a fox.

I hear birds singing and tweeting after midnight in my area. The sound varies due to exactly where I am.

It is also well documented that robins sing at night due to street lights.

[BR14]

could be fox cubs, - they make all sorts of squeaks and squeals

[WTFH]

If it is an owl...
http://www.barnowl.co.uk/page34.asp

[WTFH]

Most birds that aren't nocturnal will be tucked up asleep when it's dark, they won't make any noise. I'd almost put money on it not being a small bird.
When you say "outside the door" do you mean it's at ground level (or at least not up in a tree), if so it's an animal, not a bird. Owls will only tend to call when up in trees. When they are down low they tend to be hunting, which requires stealth.
It could be a fox.

[shaunbhoy]

I thought some night owl might've replied already but the only other person on the forum is Atw right now and he clearly knows damn all about anything

ftfy

[Scruff]

Squirrel or Jay.

[Bacchus]

We've a bird outside the back door , it sounds like tree branches squeaking, or a squeaky mattress. It's quite loud but only 'sings' when it's dark so I can't see the darn thing.

Any ideas? I know we have wood pigeon, robins, at least one owl, and had woodpeckers and bull-finches earlier in the year.

One forum mentioned great tits but I'm not sure they hadn't got their wires crossed.

Out of curiosity; if you haven't seen it, how do you know it's a bird. We have sparrows pecking insects from the eaves, but only during the day - nocturnal squeaky noises sound more like some kind of rodent. Also squirrels and hedgehogs can make very odd noises.

[Big Blue Plymouth]

Probably a jackdaw - they have an uncanny ability to mimic everyday sounds they pick up.

Sounds like a squeaky mattress you say? It has obviously spent a lot of time perched outside your bedroom window.

[BrilloPad]

I have got 3 pussies I can use to scare it off if that helps?

[PurpleGorilla]

Bird advice

What's the problem? You don't like the sounds of nature on your doorstep?

Sounds like an old crow to me. No idea what the bird is though.

[d000hg]

I thought some night owl might've replied already but the only other person on the forum is Atw right now and he clearly knows damn all about birds.