When the chips are down (or up!)

common yellowthroat

I'm standing in our upper meadow trying to distinguish among various types of chip--not potato chips but the sharp chipping noise many birds make. Bird books transcribe the sound as chip, sssip, or tzip, but they agree that it never sounds like cheep.

So many birds make this sound that it's tough for a rank amateur to distinguish their subtle differences, but I'm learning by looking. Metallic chip coming from the very top of a tree up the hill: indigo bunting, too skittish to let me get close enough for a good photo (so I'll settle for a bad one). Louder woody-sounding chip from deep within the tangles of a gnarly old apple tree: could be a cardinal, but closer inspection reveals a brown thrasher. Quick little chips from among a mess of saplings: common yellowthroats, not at all spooked as long as I walk slowly.

Indigo bunting

But what about the other chips and calls I hear but can't connect to a specific bird? They'll have to wait for another day. 

Brown Thrasher