Music of Nature Podcast

In late June, I visit Olympic National Park and camp near Ozette Lake in the Olympic Peninsula. At the break of dawn, I amble along a trail leading to the Pacific Ocean and encounter an exciting constellation of sounds. Against a backdrop of subtle gurgles from a small stream and the gentle whoosh of a light breeze, two varied thrushes sing loudly from tall hemlocks while others sound off in the distance. Their vibrant, buzzy notes electrify the air. From the understory, a Swainson’s thrush sings prominently, its melodic flute-like notes sliding upward in pitch. A pileated woodpecker drums occasionally far in the distance. A band-tailed pigeon also chimes in, its hollow low-pitched coo-coo, coo-coo adding a pleasing musical element to the low end. And then, to top things off, a Pacific winter wren suddenly bursts forth with its high-pitched, liquid ramble exhilarating the mix.\ I rest against the trunk of a towering tree and take in this exquisite blend of sounds—a veritable audio fingerprint of the ancient old growth forests of the Pacific Northwest. Olympic Thrush-Tones - 23 June 2017, at dawn, near Ozette Lake, Olympic National Park, Washington. © by Lang Elliott, musicofnature.com

25 March 1994, 8am, Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska. Recording © Lang Elliott. In late March, I travel to Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge, located in west-central Nebraska, about twenty miles due north of the Platte River. It is early spring and the waterfowl migration is at its peak. Looking for recording opportunities, I home in on a long, narrow pond only ten or fifteen feet wide and perhaps a hundred feet long, with steep banks on each side. It is a waterfowl mecca, with ducks of several species excitedly swimming about while feeding. Still others streak by overhead, their wings producing loud, spine-tingling whooshes or musical whistles, or else they land with a splash. I dare not approach the pond because the ducks will scatter and might not return. So I wait until an hour before dawn the next morning, and under the cover of darkness, I place a soundscape mic in the middle of the pool. Fortunately, no ducks are present, but at first light they begin arriving and soon the pool is churning with activity. I can only imagine what my recording will sound like… Species to listen for: 1) Loud peeps given mostly in flight: Green-winged Teal. 2) Whistling wings while flying: Common Goldeneye. 3) Taking flight while calling chux-chux-chux: Northern Shoveler. 4) Otherworldly nasal calls (prominent at the end of the recording): Lesser Scaup. 5) Musical bird songs in the background: Western Meadowlark. 6) A loud raucous outburst followed wing flapping: Ring-necked Pheasant. A Note from Lang: This stunning recording was made by my dear friend and recording partner Ted Mack (now deceased) during our 6-month recording expedition way back in 1994. The above account summarizes how he described the experience to me.

Forest birds singing during mid-morning in the Sunklands area in the Ozark Mountain region of southern Missouri. Listen for the prominent wood thrush, plus carolina wren and yellow-throated warbler. Recorded 15 May 2021.

Dawn chorus at edge of a beaver pond in Shindagin Hollow, near Brooktondale NY. Listen for green frogs, bullfrogs and a variety of bird songs including: red-winged blackbird, wood thrush and mourning dove. Recorded 30 May 2013. Please listen with headphones.

Varied Thrushes singing along a forest trail near Ozette Lake in the Olympic National Park. Listen also for a Swainson's Thrush and Winter Wren, along with the gentle gurgle of a nearby stream. 2 August 2021. Please Listen with headphones.

A pleasing dawn chorus recorded at Connecticut Hill Wildlife Management Area near Ithaca, NY. 21 May, 2016. Binaural - Please listen with headphones. Prominent singers include Eastern Wood-Pewee, Mourning Dove, Wood Thrush, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Ovenbird. © Lang Elliott, musicofnature.com

A soothing binaural ambient recording featuring forest drip at dawn with Wood Thrushes singing from all directions and crickets trilling. Listen also for several hoots from a Barred Owl. How nice to hear so many Wood Thrushes singing together in a chorus, especially given that populations have been steadily declining over the last fifty years. Recorded 23 June 2024 in Mammoth Cave National Park. © Lang Elliott, Music of Nature. Please listen with headphones.