Path: utzoo!yunexus!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!rutgers!soleil!mcaloon
From: mcaloon@soleil.UUCP (Barbara McAloon)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Northern Mockingbird (I think)
Keywords: Beginner/Help/Identify
Message-ID: <976@soleil.UUCP>
Date: 29 May 90 16:28:25 GMT
Article-I.D.: soleil.976
Organization: Harris Semiconductor, Somerville, NJ
Lines: 29


Can anyone out there help me?  This is my first attempt at posting to this
group so please bear with me if I post incorrectly.

I have just started to get interested in bird watching.  My extent so far is
a feeder and a bird bath in my backyard.  I live in Washington, (Warren
County) NJ, which is kind of country.  This is my situation:

Feeling nature's call around 2:00 - 3:00 a.m., I head to the bathroom.  About
this time, I can hear what I am guessing is a Northern Mockingbird.  What I
am hearing is a variety of bird calls in random order; hence, my humble
guess. I cannot see this bird at all, only hear its sounds.  My neighbors tell
me that what I am hearing is bats.  

I have awoken my husband to hear these strange sounds and he, too, is curious.
At times, I have opened the window and made my own sounds -- "cheep, cheep,
birdeeee, birdeeee, birdeeee" and to my amazement, it repeats what I say.

Based on such little information, can anyone identify this bird?  Don't birds 
sleep at night?  Can these sounds be coming from bats?  

I would appreciate receiving your comments and experiences.  Thank you in
advance.

-- 
Barbara McAloon

mcaloon@soleil.nj.semi.harris.com
..!rutgers!soleil!mcaloon