American Robin singing at dawn in Mid-July. 4:50am, 13 July 2016, Shindagin Hollow near Brooktondale, New York. © Lang Elliott. Please play at a low volume to simulate a natural listening experience.
Click Here for direct link to MP3.
This morning I arrived at Shindagin Hollow around 4:30am. It was dead quiet. I walked into the forest and made my way to a small stream, which turned out to be near-dry, with only scattered stagnant pools. I sat on a large log that spanned the stream. I had no particular expectations with regard to recording birds. Maybe a gentle chorus of distant singers? Maybe no bird song? It’s mid-July and the soundscape was almost certain to be muted.
At 4:45am a distant robin began singing. “Ah,” I remember thinking, “a robin making music in the hollow in mid-July … how relaxing!”. And then a surprise. Another robin suddenly sounded off from nearby, soon flying in so close that his song overpowered my microphones. I was delighted but irritated at his loudness. Lucky for me, he soon flew to a more distant perch, allowing me to capture his resonant performance with a nice ambient background.
Regretfully, my “bird recording season” is rapidly coming to a close. Over the next two weeks I’ll be catching up on sleep, giving several presentations, and preparing for a new journey to record insect sounds. My plan is to leave Ithaca around July 24 and drive westward, to Land Between the Lakes Kentucky and beyond, recording insect soundscapes as I go. I also plan to visit my sister in Missouri, as well as Carl Gerhardt, a close friend and coauthor of my book “Frogs and Toads of North America.” My journey will only last a couple of weeks, at which time I’ll return to Ithaca and get right to work on some new projects (more about them at a later date).
If all goes well, I’ll blog while on the road, sharing insect recordings and whatever else I manage to capture. Maybe I’ll get lucky with screech-owls, or perhaps coyotes. Whatever nature offers, I will gratefully accept. My responsibility is simple … just get myself out into nature and maintain a receptive frame of mind. Everything else will happen of its own accord.
Hey, I rather like the sound of this morning’s robin, don’t you?
One more treat for those interested … me talking this morning, leading up to when the robin began singing overhead:
Lang chatting at dawn in Shindagin Hollow. 4:45am, 13 July 2016, Shindagin Hollow near Brooktondale, New York. © Lang Elliott. Please play at a low volume to simulate a natural listening experience.
Click Here for direct link to MP3.
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Sorry, I haven’t been on your site since June; recovering from surgery. I’m finally feeling somewhat human again and now trying to catch-up on your past recordings that I missed.
I love this recording. Every summer a robin builds its nest just outside my windows. Many generations have greeted us with their songs.
: >)
I have loved Robins and their songs ever since I was a child. For my entire life, they have been a lullaby at night and a song of hope in the imperceptible dawn that they can see but that isn’t yet visible to humans.
lovely!
The All-American robin never disappoints, nor does Lang; always love a robin chorus
Have a fine insect season
Come back “rested”!
Hay! I figured out how to get the sound? ” click here for MP3″ no pic though. Turned volume way up and other bird calls too.
How long will your site allow you to record sounds? I could listen to it all day. Maybe you could record some nature sounds,stop move to another spot and add some different sounds.all together. Just a suggestion.
It’s nice to hear that the link works for you. You’ll just have to imagine the pic, although I presume you see it before clicking on the link? Let me know if that’s the case.
I would never have guessed that to be a robin!!!
No? Then what bird might you have guessed it to be?
Hello Lang. Another video I cannot play. No sound bar below. Oh, well, just your words describing the Robin’s song is delightful. You sure have a way with words. You put your whole feeling into them. Any wildlife or nature sounds would be fantastic to hear. Thank you for sharing.you have a generous heart.
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Aimee: It’s maddening that you can’t play the sound file. Please check it out again. I’ve added a “direct link” to the MP3 just below the audio player. Click that link and you should have access to the file. If this works, I’ll include such links whenever I feature audio, just to be on the safe side.
Saw your post to late. Just sent a comment that I figured it out,on my own. Thank you!
Love it, almost sounds like he is saying. . . “Pretty Bird” at times 🙂 Lang, hope you can CATCH UP on your sleep, is that possible? I’ll miss the bird’s songs while you are gone, have a great trip & enjoy your journey. I ‘ll just have to continue to go outside very early in the morning like I did today. At 5:30AM I heard the lovely PEE WEE’s song. Your audio was very relaxing to hear, it put me in a new frame of mine. I too am now Cancer free, thank God, he has been very good… Read more »
Though i wouldn’t say that the Robin’s song is the most melodic or beautiful of the birds, it is certainly one of the most enthusiastic. No one greets the possibilities of a new day like the Robin. I’m ALWAYS out there with him(her) to greet the new day. Loved this recording.
Best of luck on your upcoming adventure. Sounds like a blast……….
Robins are very enthusiastic singers, and their music is very embedded in the American consciousness … a sound that most of us grew up hearing, though not really thinking about.
p.s. can’t wait to leave on my next journey, which will hopefully be more relaxed and laid-back than my previous whirlwind-of-a-trip.
Hello. It is said in my bird book that it only the male Robin that sings his morning song. Have you seen this?
Only the male sings in this species, referring to both normal song and dawn song.
Yes, the American Robin.and they have an alert call also. I heard that in yr video.
The more of a story you tell about how the events transpired the more we can feel the experience. To sit in the outdoors recording, becoming one with the environment is one of the most enjoyable things I’ve ever experienced. Very enjoyable recording, going out Thursday to check out a 721 acre wetland bordered by two rivers. Hope to capture a few sounds along with documenting what we can find to photograph.
I actually started talking into the mic prior to the robin appearing above me. I was chatting about things. Maybe I should add that segment at the end of the post, for those who are interested in hearing me speak (even though my voice is still “croaky”).
p.s. “Story” will be everything when I finally get around to creating podcasts.
I’ve added my voicing … should have done that in the first place. I think such “chats” should probably be included whenever possible.
Would love to hear your voice,also. Don’t be shy now. We all love ya.( even though we don’t know you.)wishing you well,Lang,on your fantastic journey.
Aimee: My voicing has been added at the end.
I more than rather like this recording. I love it. Yes, the audio volume needs to be lowish or the song can get grating on the nerves
Playback volume is critically important with nature recordings. This robin recording sounds very good if played correctly, at least to my ears. I like the reverberation, which firmly places the bird in its surroundings.
Thanks Lang, What a happy song. I would like to think the robin in rejoicing in successfully rearing healthy little fledglings. Glad you resent this as the first one would not play on my computer, but I thought it was probably my old slow computer and slow internet speed, but this version plays easily. Have a great time at Land Between the Lakes- you will find many wonders, I have no doubt. One place in the woods at LBL are scattered the most gorgeous bright blue and turquoise rocks, very smooth and shiny (almost like blue obsidian). I could find… Read more »
Lynn: I’ll be sure to look for those blue stones. My trip should be a good one … not so rushed as my last journey. I intend to mix my work with some relaxed meditations on the soundscape, possibly helping me conjure up a plan for a new book (which will be a guide to listening to nature).
“Whatever nature offers, I will gratefully accept.” Yes yes.