Larch Creek Birds

What the birds (and frogs) are saying at a creek in western Washington

What the creek's sound log says about when things happen. These figures are rebuilt from scratch every quarter hour and get sharper as the record grows; the microphone has been listening since Oct 28 (4 days).

Who sings first the dawn order

-2h-1hsunrise+1h+2h+3h+4hPacific WrenPacific Wren: first call -5 min from sunrise (median of 3 days)Northern FlickerNorthern Flicker: first call +0 min from sunrise (median of 3 days)Steller's JaySteller's Jay: first call +6 min from sunrise (median of 3 days)Red-breasted NuthatchRed-breasted Nuthatch: first call +7 min from sunrise (median of 3 days)Evening GrosbeakEvening Grosbeak: first call +28 min from sunrise (median of 2 days)Common NighthawkCommon Nighthawk: first call +38 min from sunrise (median of 2 days)American CrowAmerican Crow: first call +43 min from sunrise (median of 3 days)Common RavenCommon Raven: first call +58 min from sunrise (median of 2 days)Bewick's WrenBewick's Wren: first call +59 min from sunrise (median of 2 days)Song SparrowSong Sparrow: first call +63 min from sunrise (median of 2 days)Black-capped ChickadeeBlack-capped Chickadee: first call +64 min from sunrise (median of 3 days)Blue JayBlue Jay: first call +75 min from sunrise (median of 3 days)Canyon WrenCanyon Wren: first call +102 min from sunrise (median of 2 days)Spotted TowheeSpotted Towhee: first call +110 min from sunrise (median of 2 days)Pacific chorus frogPacific chorus frog: first call +225 min from sunrise (median of 2 days)Golden-crowned KingletGolden-crowned Kinglet: first call +229 min from sunrise (median of 2 days)
Fig. 1. For each species, the median time of its first call of the day relative to sunrise, over the days it was heard (bar = earliest to latest day). Species with at least 8 calls on 2 or more days. Being first is not the same as being loud; it is the same as being awake.

When it gets dark the evening handover

1836-180 min from sunset — 6 calls-3h-165 min from sunset — 19 calls-150 min from sunset — 24 calls-135 min from sunset — 22 calls-120 min from sunset — 35 calls-2h-105 min from sunset — 33 calls-90 min from sunset — 31 calls-75 min from sunset — 34 calls-60 min from sunset — 19 calls-1h-45 min from sunset — 36 calls-30 min from sunset — 33 calls-15 min from sunset — 21 calls+0 min from sunset — 11 calls+0h+15 min from sunset — 4 calls+30 min from sunset — 3 calls+45 min from sunset — 4 calls+60 min from sunset — 2 calls+1h+75 min from sunset — 8 calls+90 min from sunset — 3 calls+105 min from sunset — 2 calls+120 min from sunset — 0 calls+2h+135 min from sunset — 3 calls+150 min from sunset — 3 calls+165 min from sunset — 6 calls+180 min from sunset — 6 calls+3h+195 min from sunset — 4 calls+210 min from sunset — 0 calls+225 min from sunset — 4 calls+240 min from sunset — 1 calls+4h+255 min from sunset — 2 calls+270 min from sunset — 2 calls+285 min from sunset — 3 callssunset
Fig. 2. Calls in 15-minute steps around sunset, summed over all days. The day chorus fades in the hour after sunset; what remains is the night shift: owls, frogs, and anything with a grievance.

The night shift so far (calls more than 45 minutes after sunset or before sunrise): Red Crossbill (40), Great Horned Owl (16), Belted Kingfisher (14), Barred Owl (10), Common Raven (7), Wild Turkey (3), Trumpeter Swan (3), Coyote (3), Red Fox (3), Rusty Blackbird (2).

When to listen for each one

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Red Crossbill
Northern Flicker
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Spotted Towhee
Common Raven
Steller's Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Pacific Wren
Belted Kingfisher
Bewick's Wren
Common Nighthawk
American Crow
Great Horned Owl
Pacific chorus frog
Rock Pigeon
Trumpeter Swan
Evening Grosbeak
Barred Owl
Blue Jay
Canyon Wren
Fig. 3. Each row is one species' calls by hour of day, shaded relative to its own busiest hour. The 20 most-heard species. Read it as a timetable: darker means now would be a good time to go and stand outside.

Weather and song daylight hours only

dry hourrain or drizzle
3468Oct 28 12:00 — 47 °F, clouds, 0 callsOct 28 13:00 — 50 °F, rain, 0 callsOct 28 14:00 — 51 °F, rain, 13 callsOct 28 15:00 — 51 °F, rain, 3 callsOct 28 16:00 — 49 °F, rain, 16 callsOct 28 17:00 — 49 °F, clear, 13 callsOct 29 08:00 — 41 °F, clouds, 32 callsOct 29 09:00 — 42 °F, clouds, 66 callsOct 29 10:00 — 43 °F, clouds, 64 callsOct 29 11:00 — 46 °F, clouds, 17 callsOct 29 12:00 — 48 °F, clear, 9 callsOct 29 13:00 — 51 °F, clear, 26 callsOct 29 14:00 — 52 °F, clear, 27 callsOct 29 15:00 — 52 °F, rain, 35 callsOct 29 16:00 — 51 °F, clouds, 43 callsOct 29 17:00 — 49 °F, rain, 32 callsOct 30 08:00 — 41 °F, rain, 33 callsOct 30 09:00 — 43 °F, rain, 5 callsOct 30 10:00 — 44 °F, rain, 0 callsOct 30 11:00 — 45 °F, rain, 0 callsOct 30 12:00 — 46 °F, rain, 0 callsOct 30 13:00 — 45 °F, rain, 5 callsOct 30 14:00 — 46 °F, clouds, 6 callsOct 30 15:00 — 46 °F, clouds, 16 callsOct 30 16:00 — 47 °F, clouds, 31 callsOct 30 17:00 — 46 °F, clouds, 24 callsOct 31 08:00 — 39 °F, fog, 39 callsOct 31 09:00 — 40 °F, fog, 31 callsOct 31 10:00 — 42 °F, fog, 36 callsOct 31 11:00 — 44 °F, fog, 68 callsOct 31 12:00 — 48 °F, fog, 39 callsOct 31 13:00 — 51 °F, clouds, 22 callsOct 31 14:00 — 52 °F, clouds, 25 callsOct 31 15:00 — 52 °F, clouds, 29 callsOct 31 16:00 — 51 °F, clouds, 30 callsOct 31 17:00 — 49 °F, clouds, 42 calls404550temperature (°F)calls in the hour
Fig. 4. Each dot is one daylight hour: calls identified against that hour's temperature (weather from BirdNET-Go's hourly log for now; the creek's own station readings take over as its log grows). Hour of day is a confounder: the coolest hours are also the dawn hours, so the birds may be answering the clock, not the thermometer. Correlation is not causation, but it is where causation usually starts.
1531dry: 30.6 calls/hourdry hours (n=24)wet: 11.8 calls/hourwet hours (n=12)
Fig. 5. Mean calls per daylight hour, dry versus wet. With this few days it is a sketch, not a result.