any birders out there? bird call question...

Factual Questions
1

The boyfriend and I were out hiking the Indiana Dunes today. He’s much more into the bird watching than I am, but I’m learning.

Anyway, we were walking through a wooded area with bogs and swampyness interspersed around us when we heard this strange call.

It was very similar to the sound of a bicycle horn, but really loud, you know, just a “honk” type sound. It also had a sort of “meow” like quality to it. (I wish we had had a tape recorder so I could have taped it for others to hear.) I’ve never heard anything like it before, but more importantly neither had he. We tried looking calls up on the internet, but to no avail.

Any guesses you guys?

2

Try Gray Catbird.

3

catbirds…we heard and saw a lot of those. This definately wasn’t them. It was much more “honk” than meow. The closest thing I could find on the web was a trumpter swan or an great egret, but neither of them was a good match and I doubt it was one of them. It was a single call with a slow repetition. “Honk”… … … “honk”…etc.

thanks though

4

Catbirds are noted for their excellent mimicry and could easily sound just like a bicycle horn.