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Lang Elliott
Binaural Soundscapes | Podcasts | Videos | Birds | Mammals | Amphibians | Reptiles | Insects | Ramblings | Miscellaneous
Late this afternoon I went on a nature walk near where I live in upstate New York. While ambling along a trail through the forest, I was startled by loud screaming, coming from a large pile of brush right next to the trail. There I spied two groundhogs, locked together in a fight …
Last night was a great night for Wood Frogs, here in upstate New York. The temperature reached nearly 60F during the day and a thunderstorm passed through in the evening. After dark, I drove to one of my favorite locations and hiked through the forest to a small woodland pool …
I am so excited! I just discovered another jewel … a recording of an American Robin awakening at dawn next to a small mountain brook. It only lasts five minutes, but it is so incredibly pleasing to my ear. Please don’t play it too loudly … it is made of fine silk and should be handled with care!
I was just looking through some old work and came across my bird song ditties … a project that is at least six years old. I created these for kids, to help them learn to read while also exposing them to common bird songs. Let me know what you think of them!
In early March, the daytime temperature rose into the low 60s (Fahrenheit) and then it rained all afternoon. This is the magic formula that stirs the mole salamanders into action. Out of the earth they climb and then trek toward their breeding sites …
This morning, I got up at dawn and went out with my video gear in hopes of getting some nice footage. It was a frustrating session. When it comes to nature immersion, is it really a good thing for me to be driven primarily by my goals, and by the technology I am using to capture images and sounds? The following essay addresses this concern …
Wintering in the southern states, the American Woodcock (which I affectionately refer to as the PeentMeister) will soon begin its trek northward, arriving on its breeding grounds as early as late February in states such as Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky. The breeding display is remarkable …
I enjoy making up my own names for birds, especially when I’m not happy with the accepted common name. A case in point is the Northern Cardinal, one of our most common backyard birds here in the East. What have I decided to call it, and why? Read this post to find out!
Wrap your ears around this splendid recording: a lone Hermit Thrush, calling and singing at dusk against a backdrop of spring peepers. I made this recording in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. How exciting to witness the awe-inspiring transition from dusk into the darkened night …
It is early summer … I am sitting next to a small, trickling brook in deep forest, celebrating the dawning of the day. Various songbirds soon chime in, including Scarlet Tanager, Wood Thrush, Veery, Blue Jay, and Dark-eyed Junco. What a tranquil and healing combination of natural sounds …
Searching my collection for unused soundscapes, I came across this jewel: a lone American Robin singing at dusk with spring peepers chorusing in the background. This is a zen-infused recording, a simple yet profoundly moving soundscape that is at once relaxing and sublime …
I rise at dawn on this fine winter morning and excitedly venture out in my yard to record bird sounds. It is chilly, 24F, with snow patches clinging to the ground. Our pond is frozen over, reflecting the rising sun. Though winter still has a firm hold, there is a surprising variety of bird sounds …
Enjoy this beautiful summer dawn chorus from Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota. Listen for the songs of American Crow, Yellow-breasted Chat, Mourning Dove, Painted Bunting, Eastern Towhee, Field Sparrow, and crickets …
We are born into a magical world of sensory delight, our beings naturally tuned to our surroundings. We are part of nature, our senses connecting us to the whole like an umbilical cord, allowing us to commune with and be nurtured by the source from which we have sprung …
As temperatures plummet here in upstate New York, I cannot help but dream of spring. Yesterday I stumbled upon a dawn chorus from May 31 in 2013, recorded at a beaver pond not far from where I live. When I listened to it, I was struck by its inherent beauty, by the sweetly balanced mix of frog and bird sounds as dawn unfolds …
