Sounds Southern

Recorded on April 20, 2026 at Belmont in the river bottom along the Little Tallahatchie River, this is the sound of dawn chorus at the peak of migration season. The recording opens with the delicate, flute-like song of the Wood Thrush. The Wood Thrush’s call is a distinctive, layered three-part call where individuals can be identified by the repeating order in which they cycle through their middle-phrase variants, the ee-oh-lay. Males learn this phrase from neighboring birds and perform multiple variants, typically 2 to 10 clear, ringing notes. When combined with 1–3 variants of a softer introductory phrase and 6–12 variants of a more complex, higher-pitched final trill, a single bird may produce more than 50 distinct songs.Other voices joining the chorus include: Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Carolina Wren, Northern Cardinal, Louisiana Waterthrush, Hooded Warbler, Eastern Towhee, Northern Parula, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Downy Woodpecker, Acadian Flycatcher, Pine Warbler, American Crow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Red-eyed Vireo, American Redstart and Tufted Titmouse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded on April 17, 2026 in the Cold Springs woods, this is the sound of a spring morning full of birdsong. Migrating and resident warblers dominate the scene, with a trio of newly arrived resident Worm-eating Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler and Northern Parula lifting their voices in conversation.The recording opens with low morning cow bellows from a nearby pasture, underscored by crickets and a growing chorus of birds, including Blue-winged Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, Pine Warbler, Ovenbird, American Goldfinch, Red-eyed Vireo, American Robin, Gray Catbird, House Finch, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Brown-headed Cowbird, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Prairie Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Chipping Sparrow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded on April 10, 2026 at Heart Place, this is the sound of a spring night under a third-quarter moon. Listeners will hear the distant howl of a lone coyote alongside the steady chorus of Eastern Cricket Frogs, Southern Cricket Frogs, Fowler’s Toads, Southern Wood Crickets and Southeastern Field Crickets. This green noise is perfect for calming down in times of stress. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded on April 7, 2026 at the old townsite of Belmont along the Little Tallahatchie River, this is the sound of spring serenading warblers and vireos. Some are pausing in the bottomlands on their migration routes and others are setting up summer territories. Among them are the first Hooded Warblers and Louisiana Waterthrush, along with Yellow-throated, Blue-headed, White-eyed and Red-eyed Vireos, their songs carrying through the woods. Also heard are Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern Parula, American Crow, Northern Cardinal, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Barred Owl, Pine Warbler, American Goldfinch, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Brown-headed Cowbird, White-throated Sparrow and Downy Woodpecker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded on March 30, 2026 at Heart Place, this is the sound of the sundown chorus at the woods edge, with violet wood-sorrel in full bloom beneath a stand of loblolly pines. Wind moves through the trees in a soft psithurism as the last of the March breezes carry newly arrived swallows, Northern Rough-winged and Cliff, as they wheel and dance on air..Joining the evening bird chorus are Song Sparrow, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Carolina Chickadee, Eastern Bluebird, Carolina Wren, Chipping Sparrow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Robin, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Crow, Northern Parula, Downy Woodpecker, Cedar Waxwing, Purple Finch, Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, White-throated Sparrow and House Finch, along with the distant meow call of a peacock from a nearby farm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded on March 22, 2026, at the woods edge surrounding Bullfrog Pond, this is the sound of a dawn song of new migrants and year-round residents preparing for spring. An Eastern Gray Squirrel gives its nasal calls while March winds move through the pines and the oak grove on the hilltop.Canada Geese are beginning spring courting rituals on the ponds at Heart Place and other voices in the dawn song include Carolina Wren, Tufted Titmouse, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Crow, House Finch, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, House Sparrow, Carolina Chickadee, Northern Cardinal, Cedar Waxwing, Eastern Bluebird, American Goldfinch, Brown-headed Cowbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Barred Owl, Pine Warbler, Eastern Meadowlark, Chipping Sparrow and Red-winged Blackbird. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded on January 24, 2026 at Heart Place, this is the sound of the first day of Winter Storm Fern as sleet and ice begin to fall across the hill country. Even as the storm sets in, American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Junco, Tufted Titmouse, Northern Cardinal and House Finch continue to move and call through the cold.Winter Storm Fern became an historic and devastating ice storm, causing catastrophic damage to infrastructure across North Mississippi, with Panola, Lafayette, Tallahatchie and Yalobusha counties sustaining the greatest impact. Ice accumulation brought down trees, including a favorite hundred-year-old post oak at the dogtrot, and power lines, leaving many without electricity for weeks. The recordist was without power or heat for two weeks and without internet for three.More rhythmic than rain, the steady ticking of ice across the winter landscape creates a natural white noise that is well suited for relaxation or sleep. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded on March 4, 2026 at the dogtrot, this is the sound of gusty March winds carrying in thunderclouds as blue hour settles over the pond and pasture while Spring peepers and Carolina ground crickets greet the evening with their calls. Listeners will hear rolls of distant thunder as the wind whistles through the screen on the sleeping porch and the Cosanti bell chimes softly in the breezes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded on February 27, 2026 at the dogtrot on the sleeping porch, this is the sound of the dawnchorus in the pasture The dense morning fog carries sound across the pond and pasture, allowing the distant drumming of a pair of Red-bellied Woodpecker to clearly travel. Other birds greeting the day include: Pine Warbler, Blue Jay, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Mockingbird, Tufted Titmouse, Northern Cardinal, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Pileated Woodpecker, American Crow, House Finch, Mourning Dove, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Fish Crow, American Robin, Swamp Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird, and Downy Woodpecker. Listeners will also hear the rustle and call of an Eastern gray squirrel moving through the trees. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded on February 21, 2026 on the Way Out West Deck, this is the sound of a late winter afternoon marked by steady soothing birdsong. Voices in the recording include Carolina Wren, Carolina Chickadee, Pine Warbler, American Crow, Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, Northern Cardinal, House Finch, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-bellied Woodpecker and Killdeer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded on January 24, 2026 at the dogtrot on the Way Out West deck, this is the sound of the first winter precipitation arriving with Winter Storm Fern. Sleet and freezing rain begin to fall as winter birds gather, including Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, Northern Cardinal, Carolina Chickadee, Red-bellied Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, White-throated Sparrow, Tufted Titmouse, Bewick’s Wren, American Crow, Brown Creeper and Song Sparrow. The icy weather settles in as their calls carry through the cold, icy air. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded on January 2, 2026 on the sleeping porch, this is the sound of a gentle winter rain playing a soft melody on the raindrum ad metal roof, accompanied by winter birdsong. Sounds Southern Extended listeners will hear over an hour of the delicate rain and birdsong from White-throated Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, House Sparrow, Red-shouldered Hawk, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Golden-crowned Kinglet, White-breasted Nuthatch, Eastern Towhee, House Finch, Cedar Waxwing, Carolina Chickadee, Blue Jay, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, American Crow, Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse and Northern Mockingbird including a curious Carolina Wren who sneaks onto the porch, flutters around, rings the Cosanti bell and slips back into the wet winter landscape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.