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I found a way to stretch my birding hours after
dark the past two nights in my livingroom by watching Ken Burns' American
Stories, Lewis and Clark, on PBS television. I heard many familiar voices
by traveling along with Lewis and Clark from St Louis on their epic exploration
of the west. The sound track is beautifully done and incorporates many
bird calls and songs into the background. I also heard many low,
twittering calls that I couldn't name---grrr---more study needed!
I always find it rewarding when birds are
accurately depicted in a professional presentation. Virtually all the
distinctive calls were matched to cinematography of landscapes where you'd
expect to find the particular bird. The Western Screech-owls that
accompanied the night campfires of an indian tribe were my favorites. The
only call that made me laugh was what sure sounded like an Eastern Blue
Jay at the Winter Quarters (now called Fort Clatsop National Monument)
south of what is now Astoria, Oregon, on the Pacific Coast. Even with
changes in range that occur over time, I've never hear that the Eastern Blue Jay
ever lived out there!
Here's what else I heard:
Northern Bobwhite
Mourning Dove
Western Screech-Owl
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-winged Blackbird
Canada Geese
Many drumming woodpeckers
American Magpie
Western Meadowlark
Western Scrub Jay
Spotted Towhee
Dark-eyed Junco
Gull spp.
Clark's Nutcracker
Common Loon
American Crow
Western Tanager
White-breasted Nuthatch
White-throated Swift
Kris
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