Mystery sound

[Oaktree]

There is a weird "earth" sound that I hear, most often in the spring and wondered if anyone knew what this could be. It seems to come from the small mountain/large hill across the road from me. Almost sounds like an old diesel tractor starting up, running for 5-6 seconds or so then stalling....kind of a putt, putt, putt, put-put-put-put, putt, putt sound. There's nothing but woods for several miles in that direction so I really doubt it's anything man-made. As I mentioned, it seems to happen most in the spring, is often heard right after a vehicle has driven by though it does it at random other times too. I'm guessing it's caused by the ground warming up, but was curious if anyone else has ever noticed this.

 

[oosik]

Welllll - the only thing that sounds anything like that around here is the male turkeys during spring mating season. They strut around and make a weird sound - like what you indicate - during their mating dance - they are flapping their wings. Any other ideas I might have are probably best not put to paper - ya know what I mean!!!

 

[lilranch2001]

My next door neighbor has turkeys and that noise is pretty loud

 

[oosik]

Don't get me going on turkeys!!! Around here they are all wild and at a moments notice they will be in your yard tearing the snot out of anything and everything. I've never seen such a destructive force!!! Several neighbors have had their lawns - and I'm talking lawns 5000 sq ft and bigger - ripped to shreds from flocks of these critters when they dig. AND word has it that they are tougher than shoe leather - only fit to eat if you deep oil cook them. I hear them in the evening and morning just over the ridge from my house. They were imported into this area about 15 years ago and have bread like rats. Its not unusual to see flocks of 30-50.

 

[GolfAddict]

I know grouse will sound just like that, like an old "popping Johnny" starting up, running a second, and killing. It's from them thumping their wings against their bodies.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Don't get me going on turkeys!!! Around here they are all wild and at a moments notice they will be in your yard tearing the snot out of anything and everything. I've never seen such a destructive force!!! Several neighbors have had their lawns - and I'm talking lawns 5000 sq ft and bigger - ripped to shreds from flocks of these critters when they dig. AND word has it that they are tougher than shoe leather - only fit to eat if you deep oil cook them. I hear them in the evening and morning just over the ridge from my house. They were imported into this area about 15 years ago and have bread like rats. Its not unusual to see flocks of 30-50.

We have them here too; I counted 64 in my front yard one morning. They are noisy, but I haven't heard them making any put-put sounds though. They haven't been destructive to my knowledge, but in this area, none of the yards are less than an acre and lots of folks feed them. Here in Oklahoma, in the old days, we used to hear the old one-lunger oil well pumps that made a sound like that.

 

[brin]

Well since you live in the NE....You haven't seen Steven King wandering around have you ?

" Tommy Knockers Knocking at my door....Knocked last night and Twice the night before "

 

[uprwnab]

Probably a grouse "drumming" on a log...a mating ritual. Look it up on YouTube.

 

[AMD]

Just learned about this myself - Have heard the noise you described occasionally for the last few years and never really knew what it was. Then yesterday I nearly stepped on a grouse walking through the bush along the ridge and when I looked it up in one of my books I read about the mating ritual and everything started to make sense!

 

[RobertBrown]

Uh-oh....
Is this going to be another one of those pallet thread things?
Did you happen to see how the squirrels respond to this .....sound?

 

[cqaigy2]

I know grouse will sound just like that, like an old "popping Johnny" starting up, running a second, and killing. It's from them thumping their wings against their bodies.

I was thinking grouse too, but we don't have any turkeys around here so wouldn't know.

 

[peterc38]

Probably a grouse "drumming" on a log...a mating ritual. Look it up on YouTube.

Bingo!

 

[Baby Grand]

Maybe an American Woodcock? They are funny looking birds that make funny noises ...



American Woodcock, Sounds, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

 

[dave1949]

Definitely grouse. I had the same experience the first couple years we lived here. It does sound just like a one-lung engine starting, I kept wondering what sort of pump or whatever the neighbors must have running that would start and stop randomly. I had to laugh at myself when I finally learned what it was.

 

[turnkey4099]

I know grouse will sound just like that, like an old "popping Johnny" starting up, running a second, and killing. It's from them thumping their wings against their bodies.

Yep, that is what it is and I can't think of a better example of it.

Harry K

 

[Oaktree]

Yeah, that sure does sound like it!!

 

[peterc38]

Definitely grouse.

'Cept we don't call 'em Grouse here, right Dave?

 

[dave1949]

'Cept we don't call 'em Grouse here, right Dave?

Oh no, that would be too easy. :laughing: I think most of the natives here call them partridge.

Whatever you call 'em, I think this winter was a hard one for them. That rain that froze into 3" of ice back in January kept any critter from getting to the ground. I've seen just a few tracks in the snow this spring.

Not as many hare tracks as in the past few years either, but they have been pretty thick the past couple years and they do go in cycles.

The deer are on the move now, I've seen deer tracks around the house the past couple days.

 

[Tollster]

I'm thinking a grouse drumming too, but...its way early in New Hampshire...

 

[toppop52]

Sounds like an old liquor still!