What am I hearing? Native animal? Ghost? Bunyip? Any ideas?

Prospecting Australia

Help Support Prospecting Australia:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Dec 3, 2021
Messages
187
Reaction score
373
Location
Perth, WA
Hi all,
I’m in Perth, living fairly close to a golf course, in an area with plenty of trees & standing water. However for the past several weeks, there’s a noise that’s been driving us insane. Obviously attempting to describe a noise using a written medium such as this is probably an exercise in futility, nevertheless, I’ll give it a shot.

Think of a low-pitched noise that’s a cross between someone blowing across the top of a coke bottle, and the single hoot of an Owl. Each noise lasts for only 1-2 seconds, but repeats approximately every 3 seconds, and goes on-and-on-and-on for hours at a time. It’s loud enough to hear inside the house, but when you’re outside, it’s one of those noises that’s very difficult to pin down to a specific direction. I kinda think it’s coming from the direction of the nearby golf course (the fairways, not from the clubhouse), but I’d not put money on it.

Twice now, I’ve been determined to go out and to try & find the source once and for all, but each time, the damn thing has stopped (indicative of Poltergeist activity perhaps?)

Anyone have any ideas? Ive wondered if there’s some kind of new-fangled bird-scarer that I’m not aware of (although it doesn’t really sound like something mechanical). Either that, or we’ve got an OCD Owl living in the neighbourhood.

Whilst it’s something of an annoyance for me, one of my son’s who is often home studying for uni, says it’s driving him insane.

I was thinking of either taking a slingshot for a quiet walk (ok, I’m joking) or perhaps arranging for an exorcist. Any suggestions, spells or incantations would be welcomed.
David.
 
I would have a listen to one of these, took us a long time to work out what was making odd noises at night also.

 
It took me a long time to work out what was making the noise as it was hard to get a direction of where it was coming from, finally watched one in our driveway and realised it was the culprit, seem to not be many around at present owing to foxes and other peoples cats and possibly the recent fires have not helped.
 
Last edited:
Spring is in the air and mating season. We have frogs that croak all night and doves, ringlets, magpies, wattle birds and more calling all through daylight hours. Love it.
We were in the UK a couple of years ago and their seagulls are a common call but the locals say they are a part of life and hardly notice them.
 
Was kinda hoping it might have been the Bunyp Bird (the Australasian Bittern) as it’s probably considerably rarer, but the Bronzewing sounds to be the culprit.
Your description of the noise was spot on. I'm in Perth suburbia. We have them too, they often start early summer mornings.
 
Hi all,
I’m in Perth, living fairly close to a golf course, in an area with plenty of trees & standing water. However for the past several weeks, there’s a noise that’s been driving us insane. Obviously attempting to describe a noise using a written medium such as this is probably an exercise in futility, nevertheless, I’ll give it a shot.

Think of a low-pitched noise that’s a cross between someone blowing across the top of a coke bottle, and the single hoot of an Owl. Each noise lasts for only 1-2 seconds, but repeats approximately every 3 seconds, and goes on-and-on-and-on for hours at a time. It’s loud enough to hear inside the house, but when you’re outside, it’s one of those noises that’s very difficult to pin down to a specific direction. I kinda think it’s coming from the direction of the nearby golf course (the fairways, not from the clubhouse), but I’d not put money on it.

Twice now, I’ve been determined to go out and to try & find the source once and for all, but each time, the damn thing has stopped (indicative of Poltergeist activity perhaps?)

Anyone have any ideas? Ive wondered if there’s some kind of new-fangled bird-scarer that I’m not aware of (although it doesn’t really sound like something mechanical). Either that, or we’ve got an OCD Owl living in the neighbourhood.

Whilst it’s something of an annoyance for me, one of my son’s who is often home studying for uni, says it’s driving him insane.

I was thinking of either taking a slingshot for a quiet walk (ok, I’m joking) or perhaps arranging for an exorcist. Any suggestions, spells or incantations would be welcomed.
David.
Bittern . In Cairns I call them Screaming Birds. Their nocturnal and move about on the ground at night usually in groups. Go out we a torch and look around. If they are Bitters, you will see them running about. During the day, theyroost in groups in quite low trees.
 
We have a couple of Curlews that come around each night about 11 and again very early in the morning and their scream is like a mourning widow and that description fits perfectly.

View attachment 12674
First time I heard one of these on a WA prospecting trip left me shaking.
 

Latest posts

Top