[Birdtalk] last night's flight

[Colby Neuman]

Hi all,

Last night was the first good flight I've heard this spring.  I went
up and listened from about 9:00-10:45pm just below and above the
middle radio tower (~5850') above the Avenues.  Conditions were mostly
calm with a light and variable breeze occasionally.  In all, I
probably heard 50+ sparrow/warbler seeps, chips, zips, etc..  The most
active period was from about 9:15-9:45pm.  Even after 10pm, I probably
averaged a bird or two fly over every 5 minutes.  By this time though
most calls were much harder to hear (presumably the birds were much
higher in the sky) although there were still a few birds that sounded
as though they were within a hundred feet of the ridge.  Although
individual birds were heard with subsequent silence for a minute or
two, more often than not, many birds sounded as though they were
flocking (many of which were mixed warbler/sparrow flocks).

Now onto birds I'd like to think I'm identifying...

I did hear one flock of distant BLACK-NECKED STILTS fly over over the
ridge below.  A couple good CHIPPING SPARROWS were heard.  One
probable WILSON'S WARBLER was heard as well.  The were a number of
VERY distinct seeps, chips and zips, but when I hear dozens of calls,
my memory quickly becomes saturated, and I can't even come close to
remembering anything diagnostic and useful about any particular call.
I may have to start taking notes.  Also, two different WESTERN
MEADOWLARKS sang from the valley below, and a number of COMMON
POORWILLS were heard on the way back down.

Colby