Concord, Mass.
1903
October &
November
(No. 7)
  Gilbert & I were both suddenly awakened before daybreak on
the morning of October 3rd by the stentorian voice of an Owl which
was perched, we thought, in the tall, slender elm that stands within thirty
feet or less of the western end of the farm house. At the time I was
completely puzzled as to what particular species of Owl the bird might
be but circumstantial evidence obtained later led me to think that it
must have been a Great Horned although it uttered notes unlike anything
I have ever heard from the species before. First it would cry
wah or wah-ho in tones so very loud and startling that the soundest
sleeper must have been instantly awakened, as Gilbert and I were although
all the windows of our rooms were tightly closed. Next it would hoot
not so very unlike a Great Horned Owl but much more hurriedly and
in softer, lower tones. There would follow several repetitions of the
wah or wah-ho or (usually) both to be succeeded by the hooting again.
Sometimes the wah-ho would so closely precede the hooting as to be
practically its beginning but usually the former notes were given separately.
The wah-ho might be better characterized as a yell or shout than as
a cry merely for it was almost deafening as we heard it on this
occasion and the emphasis on the first syllable was something
tremendous. A vigorous man shouting at the top of his lungs just
outside our windows could not, I think, have possibly made
so loud a noise. The sound, moreover, had a peculiarly weird
as well as penetrating quality but it was not to any degree vibrant
but rather, as I have said, a simple yell or shout. The single
note wah appeared to be identical with the first syllable of the
double note, wah-ho or ah-ho as it might perhaps be rendered.
  The hooting varied somewhat in form & number of syllables
but was invariably hurried and soft - almost cooing - in tone.
The variations which I noted on the spot were as follows: -
To - hoo - hoo - hoo, hoo - hoo - hoo, hoo, To - hoo - hoo - hoo - hoo, hoo.
To - hoo - hoo, hoo - hoo, hoo. To hoo - hoo, hoo - hoo. Hoo -hoo, hoo - hoo
Wah - ho, to - woo - hoo, woo - hoo, hoo. Wah - ho, too - hoo, hoo - hoo.