Lake bird that sounds like a Canadian Loon??

[lm1970]

Hello All

I am in Marlborough and our rural area has a largeish, manmade lake - 20ish yrs old.
Always lots of birdlife around - especially in the summer when the level drops and the wading birds come too for the mudflats.
Nesting ducks, swans, occasional spoonbills and canada geese fly in and out
At the moment it is very high given the recent rain. I have been here for a few years - and over the last two days have heard a bird call that I have not done before. I lived in Canada for many years - and it sounds like a loon!!

Is anyone able to she any light on what bird this could possibly be? Sorry I cannot give a visual description as I have only heard it at this stage.

Many thanks in advance

[RussCannings]

Hi there,

Can you please provide more details? Is the call coming from the water? Reeds? Open country? Forest? Where abouts in the Marlborough is this and what habitat is in the area?

By loon call, do you mean the long drawn out mournful call (single slurred) or the more excited chortling song?

Cheers,

Russ Cannings
Morrinsville, NZ

[bombaydave2]

Booming Bittern.

[lm1970]

Hi Russ
I can hear it from my house and it sounds like it is coming from the lake. House is on top of a hill and the sounds travels incredibly across the water which is probably 100m down a sleep slope from us.
Lake habitat is open water (1km x 300m lake size?) and I know the water is very deep in parts. Manmade - not stocked with fish but always lots of insect activity in and on top of water. Frogs are loud and abundant.
Lake is a filled in delta - steep sides all round, reeds all round - even though there are probably 25+ houses all round - very few people spend time on or around the lake. Beyond that - mix of paddock, forestry and vineyard in wider area. Lake is used for irrigation most years and parts of the outside get shallow and create awesome mud flats, which brings a new set of birds every fall / early winter.
Location - Wairau/Waihopai valley region. I did see another post about lake birds in our region - so will ask there too!
By loon call - I definitely mean the mournful "two-tone" call.

Cheers, LM

[RussCannings]

Cheers LM,

As a fellow Canuck I am familiar with loons as well. The only things I can think of are: Canada Goose (I'm sure you can rule that out but it's worth pointing out that they can make more melodic calls at times--not just the annoying honking), female Paradise Shelduck, or peacock (if any happen to be in the area).

Bittern booms don't fit, and neither do any grebe calls.

Hopefully you'll solve it soon!

Russ

[Finn Davey]

Listening to some Loon calls, maybe Paradise Shelduck.

Have a listen to some calls you can find on here:
https://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/paradise-shelduck

[Patrick Crowe]

Hi LM, not quite sure what bird it could be but judging by your description you are talking about the Marlborough Ridge Lake/Wetland? I am also in Marlborough and quite like this birding spot

[lm1970]

Thanks so much to all for taking the time to reply.

Finn - will definitely check out the Paradise Duck calls - I see pairs very frequently around here and they also actively breed in the area as I have seen chicks. I also need to check out Scaup calls as have been suggested by another commenter.

Patrick - am at Delta Lake. I saw your posts on the Grebes in the Waihopai post - I can arrange access at Delta Lake if you are keen. The sub division is developing but the lake is remarkably undisturbed!

[Ian Southey]

I don't know about loons but maybe a Little Owl on the far shore? They have a long fairly melodic call as well and will call in daytime.

Ian

[Patrick Crowe]

Definitely keen! I've sent you an email.