Fox or ....?

[Picidae]

Early hours of this morning i was woken by a loud repetitive and agitated 'clacking' in the garden. I'm pretty used to foxes and their repetoire but not heard this noise before so I'm not sure it was a fox. Also, when I hear foxes calling/fighting it's usual accompanied by loud scrabbling in the shrubs etc which I didn't hear.

It sounded like someone hitting a hollow piece of wood with a stick and was a fast and sharp almost avian type sound (ie. like a mega loud Whitethroat!). I thought I heard a flutter of large wings so the other possibility that occurred to me was a young/roosting Wood Pigeon that was being taken by a cat/fox and it was a Woodie making a 'swan song'. There was also a muffled wine. I've certainly heard the latter sound from Wood Pigeons when attacked by each other/predators but not the 'clacking'.

Anyone heard this sound from a fox (or bird?!)

(I'd like to rule out a Woodie so as to rule out a cat taking one of the local pair on a noctural prowl - A fox taking a bird I can live with!)

[Dogghound]

Foxes sometimes make what is known as a gekkering call, like the sound of a rachet, it is associated with aggression to each other. Could this have been what you heard? They are at their most vocal at this time of year.

[Words]

I'd go with a fox. 'Gekkering' is a very unusual sound and not one of their most common calls. Here's a description I jotted down a few years ago when a pair were outside my window.

[diggleken]

Given your bird knowledge Pic, I assume we can rule out clacking/chattering Magpies, they can be very loud when on the roof.......?
Cheers
Ken

[Picidae]

Originally Posted by diggleken

Given your bird knowledge Pic, I assume we can rule out clacking/chattering Magpies, they can be very loud when on the roof.......?
Cheers
Ken

Lol, no .... as I said it was like a giant Lesser Whitethroat

In fact, exactly as WORDS described: ''It wasn't the usual fox calls, more a rapid 'tapping' sound as though someone was gently hammering a stone'' which is how I'd describe a Whitethroat (or Blackcap) alarm to someone! Thanks for the link Words - I also thought it sounded throaty and rather like rapid human footsteps too as you also mention. I was going to mention a certain African type dialect which involves clicking at the back of the throat but thought that would throw people!

So I now have heard a 'gekkering' fox! I'd honestly never heard that term before Dogghound first mentioned it - truly weirdest noise especially to be woken up by in the early hours.

Well done detectives

[Words]

Have to agree that it is truly weird. If I hadn't seen the pair of foxes I would never have figured it out by the sound.

[Jim Ford]

Yeah - I've had three of them 'gekkering' and screeching on the back lawn for a couple of hours last night. That's the thanks we get for putting out food for them! I switch the security light on and they just sit on the lawn looking up at the window as if to say 'What do you want?'.

I'm going to search for their earth today and stick my head in the hole and gekker and screech at them!

Jim