Email: Mystery pond visitor (June 7, 2008)

to Susan, Robin, and Mark

Newest member of the pond club. We heard this guy coming through the gully today - but from it's distinctive call I identified it as a yellow-billed cuckoo, dead on as usual. At least the identification was not based on a visual. Really uncomfortably loud close up.
 
dad (and leif)

a follow-up email to provide details to Susan's brother David:

our toad visitor. The stem to which he clings is just under 1 inch in diameter. Now this may not look like your usual yellow-billed cuckoo but ... I think as I become more skilled in my "by sound" identifying, great strides are expected. Confusing a pilliated with an osprey is now small potatoes.

And there were two similar but slightly different calls (slightly different pitches) coming from the pond before the noise ceased for the night - which occurred just after I turned off the creek pump. I didn't go out to try and find the second. Must be a drag traveling cross country if you are a toad, but communicating over long travel distances - that they have mastered.