What got me up near to midnight? I woke to hear an owl h-O-O-ting in the bush corridor and thought ... I should get up and record these sounds on my camera. Knew I had the tele-converter lens on, so that meant firstly getting my glasses, changing settings (turn off tele-converter), and dial to 'video'.
Firstly though, here is a quick snapshot of the narrow bush corridor in daylight. It would look pretty odd finding a snapshot of an all-black image (the video that follows), in your blog-list wouldn't it; you'd hardly think to stop by and check it out.
By the time I had my camera at the ready and hit the shutter button, the sounds by then had become a little eery; you might think awesome, if you have a sense of humour. I wondered for a moment if it was a fox? At around 38 seconds there is a single more familiar fox call.
The bush-corridor is about two house-blocks deep, and at the end of the shot clip you will see car head-lights go by, and that put stop to the noises.
Emailed this audio to a friend, and with some referencing through various bird-books, she thought perhaps this could be, the Barking Owl. (linked here to Birds in Backyards factsheet). There are various sites with the more familiar sounds from the barking owl, but not this possible variation.
Some descriptions offered to the sounds that the Barking Owl makes:
a wavering human-like scream
the screaming-woman bird
a loud high-pitched tremulous scream
Would appreciate confirmation; so please pass this along to anyone you think can help out; is this the Barking Owl, or ....??
Later addition: Discussion on Birds in Backyards forum suggests not that of the Barking Owl. Most popular belief is that it is that of a fox. Now I'm interested to know what is the significance of this particular call??
Latest addition: On this video clip, partway through, there are two vixens fighting; it is pre-empted with a title. This seems the closest to what is in my audio.
Some final pics to wind up my recent Munmorah State Conservation Area posts.
Chestnut Teal. When editing the photos I was surprised to see all the bubbles from where he'd been paddling.
It was difficult to discern where the waters edge was sitting in amongst the reeds. Those reflections sure became confusing with my eye pressed to the viewfinder.
Their leafy canopy provides heavy shade within a rain-forest pocket in this section of Munmorah State Conservation Area. Visitors to the Palms picnic area are informed by signage that "the growing tip - known as the 'cabbage' - was either eaten uncooked, or roasted, by Aborigines and early settlers. Unfortunately this killed the tree."
For those of you still battling with high temperatures on the other side of the world, maybe these will offer a momentary cooling-off, state of mind.
