My annotation from this weekend in Bates County, Mo., noted a "choot choot chweet chweet!" from this bird that took longer than it should have to identify. WhatBird contends they make a "dick-dick-dick-cissel"* and The Cornell Lab of Ornithology says their song is a "simple, dry, 'dick, dick, ciss, ciss, ciss.' Call a dry 'chek.' Flight call a short, buzzy "fpppt," like a Bronx cheer."** Okay, so dickcissles sound more like campers plucking string instruments rather than a stadium rock show, but if you stand in a middle of a field, the call and response encroaches from every direction and fan sout in a fading aural perspective. Very beautiful.
Here's my video. This one is better.
* cliche'
** What's a Bronx cheer?
OK, so I must tell you Hilaria. I am using your essay again this year, except for I am incorporating it into a Missouri/small town unit unit with a little book by Laura Valenti, your essay, a short story by Rose Wilder Lane, an article by LIW and some other stuff then they are going to write an essay in the vain of your essay (and Into the Wild) it should be f.u.n. I wish I could love nature half as much as you!!! :D
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