Mid night bird songs

[dom14]

Hey guys,

I recorded this short clip of bird singing today(1st of August 2016) around 12:30 am.

They sound like magpies to me, but I wait for more experienced birders opinion here.

There're other bird songs in it, but not as loud or clear.
I had to end it abruptly due to mistakenly thinking I stepped on some dog crap on the grass, on the side of the road. It turned out it was mud, not dog crap. :)

Of course, I've been hearing this for years around this time of the year, and perhaps other times as well.
But this is the first time I got off my rear end to record it.
Reason is that I was in the right mood and kinda mesmerized by the bird singing, so I couldn't sleep.

My guess is this is how these birds signal themselves about the forthcoming Spring & their time to start
mating. So, it may be their midnight mating call, as well as telling the competing males to keep distance. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCu5xNoqkMw&feature=youtu.be


I"m in Melbourne east.

[Bush Ranger]

I know one bird call is of a magpie. I use to hear them at night at a certain time of year too in WA and I think they use to do it on a moon lit night at times too.

[threedogs]

X 2 sounds like a magpie to me as well

[4bye4]

Sounds like a magpie. I recon the signal is "its my bloody branch, I got here first, now go away.

[dom14]

Sounds like a magpie. I recon the signal is "its my bloody branch, I got here first, now go away.

Yeah, the bastards get pretty territorial around the spring time for obvious reasons. :D

[Plasnart]

I hear two different birds there. The Australian magpie and the silver crested gravel shuffler.

:D

Beautiful warbling, love magpies.

[Woof]

I hear two different birds there. The Australian magpie and the silver crested gravel shuffler.

:D

Beautiful warbling, love magpies.

Definitely Magpies, I think the other is a Yellow Belly Sap Sucker Plassy, but then you may be correct mate

[dom14]

I know one bird call is of a magpie. I use to hear them at night at a certain time of year too in WA and I think they use to do it on a moon lit night at times too.

I had no idea the same magpies are in WA.
I thought when they call the bird Eastern Magpie, it's only found in Eastern states.
Obviously I'm wrong. :)

Other songs in the recording can also be the magpie, if not the pied butcher bird.

Have listen to the pied butcher bird song here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfaplSc5ieM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMotkPv1eMw

[dom14]

I hear two different birds there. The Australian magpie and the silver crested gravel shuffler.

:D

Beautiful warbling, love magpies.

Do you still love them when they come from nowhere in the sky and try to drag you into the sky during the spring? ;)

I think magpies are doing better than ever as the eastern states are warming up every year.

[Bush Ranger]

I had no idea the same magpies are in WA.
I thought when they call the bird Eastern Magpie, it's only found in Eastern states.
Obviously I'm wrong. :)

Other songs in the recording can also be the magpie, if not the pied butcher bird.

Have listen to the pied butcher bird song here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfaplSc5ieM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMotkPv1eMw

I didn`t know they were called Eastern Magpie. I thought a magpie was a magpie if found in Australia, which they be related in one way or another I gather. They sound nice at that time of night I think.

[Plasnart]

Do you still love them when they come from nowhere in the sky and try to drag you into the sky during the spring? ;)

I think magpies are doing better than ever as the eastern states are warming up every year.

Yeah i still do. Have always loved native birds but absolutely hate ferals like minahs, blackbirds, spotted doves etc. Maggies arent the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to road sense tho, bit like galahs, kamakaze pilots! Really upsets me when i hit one, especially as they mate for life so kill one you widow another forever. I had 2 ducks flying in front of me for half a k at 60kmh today. Beautiful! They were 2m above and 5m in front looking back checking me out. Was the best part of my day, gave be a huge smile and even a woo hoo!

[Woof]

The Magpies over here have more of a white back on them and they do sound slightly different to the ones that are in NSW, I did not know they had different names though

Magpies are my favourite Australian bird

[dom14]

Yeah i still do. Have always loved native birds but absolutely hate ferals like minahs, blackbirds, spotted doves etc. Maggies arent the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to road sense tho, bit like galahs, kamakaze pilots! Really upsets me when i hit one, especially as they mate for life so kill one you widow another forever. I had 2 ducks flying in front of me for half a k at 60kmh today. Beautiful! They were 2m above and 5m in front looking back checking me out. Was the best part of my day, gave be a huge smile and even a woo hoo!

Yeah, it kills me when I accidentally hit a one. I only hit a maggie once in my life. A young beautiful one with a fresh shiny coat.
They are pretty bad when it comes to road sense, especially the young, inexperienced ones. Ironically, their closest evolutionary relative are the native crows, yet the crows possess superior intelligence(and the worst bird song :) ).
I think magpies are closer to penguins than crows, in terms of their behaviour.

I'v never been attacked by a one though. I usually sing back at them with a similar sounding song, except at midnight. :)

Yeah, native Minah's are not that common anymore, perhaps due to the introduction of the Indian minah.