Featuring me chatting and testing my “new voice” among hemlocks and hardwoods in Shindagin Hollow. Most certainly, the situation could be worse …
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Articles Posted by
Lang Elliott
Apalachicola – Podcast Prototype
Join me on a camping expedition to the Apalachicola National Forest in the panhandle of Florida. You’re sure to be amazed at the fascinating natural soundscape of the southern pine woods … birds, frogs, insects and mammals sounding off from night into day …
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Journey Highlights #4 – Louisiana & Arkansas
Leaving the Hill Country of Texas on August 5, I drove straight east into the southwest corner of Louisiana where I visited Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. The next day I traveled northward to Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge in south-central Arkansas. This post features highlights from both locations, including numerous recordings of birds, frogs, mammals, and insects …
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Journey Highlights #3 – Oklahoma & Texas
After recording in Missouri’s tallgrass prairie, I drove south and west to spend an afternoon and evening in the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Oklahoma, followed by an overnight at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area in the Hill Country of Texas. In spite of miserably hot temperatures and a fairly stiff breeze, I managed to snag a few really useful recordings, including a growling Bison …
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Journey Highlights #2 – Tallgrass Prairie
From August 1-2, I recorded in two tallgrass prairie locations in southwestern Missouri, Taberville Prairie Conservation Area, a beautiful refuge with a sweeping view from the parking lot, and Prairie State Park, which sports wonderful expanses of prairie grasses. As expected, the nature sounds were compelling.
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Journey Highlights #1 – Missouri River
I arrived in Missouri on the evening of July 28. I spent the night sleeping in my tent in a beautiful hardwood forest along a ridge overlooking the Missouri River. Awakening at first light, I was completely surprised by the rich chorus of Wood Thrushes, sounding off from all directions …
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Of Insects and Frogs
The season for insect song is rapidly unfolding. Here in upstate New York, it was remarkably quiet insect-wise until last weekend, when I finally heard meadow katydids, coneheads, bush katydids, and tree crickets sounding off in the dark of the night. So I jumped into action late Saturday night, hoping to capture a few pleasing insect soundscape recordings …
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July Robin-Song
I arrived at Shindagin Hollow around 4:30am. It was dead quiet. I walked into the forest and made my way to a small, near-dry stream, with scattered stagnant pools. I had no particular expectations with regard to recording birds. Maybe a gentle chorus of distant, scattered singers? Maybe none at all? It’s mid-July and the soundscape was almost certain to be muted …
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Spring Pond Bog
Over the Fourth of July holiday, Bob McGuire and I spent two days at Spring Pond Bog, a wonderful Nature Conservancy preserve in a remote area of the Adirondack Mountains. Our trip was rejuvenating and we experienced great pleasure in once again hearing the magical and utterly sublime bogland soundscape …
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Field Sparrow Dawn Song
This season I’ve tried time and again to get a super-pleasing portrait of a Field Sparrow singing its exquisite dawn song. But try as I might, I was unable to beat the wonderful portrait I captured on May 22, way back in 2009 …
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Bluebird Talkings
The song of the Eastern Bluebird is a delight to the ear, a series of bright, musical warbled phrases sounding like cheer … cheerily … cheer-cheerful-charmer. Females occasionally sing and sometimes answer their mate’s song with their own. Of special interest is the bluebird’s “dawn song,” an excited series of song phrases often preceded by staccato chit calls …
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Frog Pond Campout
A few nights ago, I camped next to a marsh in nearby Finger Lakes National Forest, here in upstate New York. My plan was to get some sleep so that I could rise at 4am and enjoy the birds, singing at dawn. As it turned out, I stayed awake well into the wee hours of the morning, fascinated by the never-ending chorus of Bullfrogs and Green Frogs …
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