Podcast featuring recordings I made in my backyard on April 22, 2018 (Earth Day). © Lang Elliott.
Hi all! I’ve so busy over the last few months working on a mobile app project that I have neglected blogging altogether. To remedy the situation, I got up early on Sunday, April 22 (Earth Day!) to see how many birds I could record with my trusty parabolic microphone. I was expecting perhaps a dozen or so, given the difficulty of getting decent recordings. As it turns out, I ended up recording a whopping 25 species … 23 birds, 1 frog and 1 mammal, all found in my own backyard (I never left our property). Luckily, we have a number of habitats, which helps for sure, including: a pond with some cattails, grassy meadows, lots of shrubby edges, an overgrown field, and forest.
Here is a species list, arranged in order of appearance during my walk:
-
Blue Jay
Song Sparrow
Red Fox
Red-winged Blackbird
Mourning Dove
Northern Cardinal
Mallard
Field Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-capped Chickadee
Eastern Towhee
American Goldfinch
House Finch
American Robin
Northern Flicker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
White-breasted Nuthatch
Tufted Titmouse
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Brown-headed Cowbird
Spring Peeper
Northern Ravin
Returning to my studio this morning, I set about editing the recordings and throwing together a narrative, which I performed off-the-cuff, without writing down any script. I rather like the result … uncomplicated, straightforward, and without too much talking. I was lucky to have gotten so many recordings, which makes for a compelling little bird walk, so suitable for celebrating the dawn chorus on an early spring day.
As usual, let me know what y’all think!
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thanks , what I needed on this winter morning
Delicious and wonderful potpourri of spring vocal celebrations! It’s mid-September of 2019 now, and I’m mourning the massive decrease in birdsongs. 🙁 At least there are crickets and other insects to take up the torch to the best of their capability….
Very impressive work—I love this site you’ve created. A wonderful way to start the day and get excited about being outdoors! What a joy. Thanks for all you do!
Just discovered you and your sight. As a poet, songwriter, nature lover, and owner of a nice home recording studio I feel a connection to your work. Not to mention that I am approaching my 69th birthday. I look forward to exploring your work further.
Wow, what an amazing backyard you have!! I love it!
Thank you for sharing your nature walk. This reminds me of Cornell’s “The Bird Song Tutor for Visually Handicapped Individuals” that your narrated nearly 30 years ago, which started me on my birding by ear education. Who knew I would become visually handicapped? I depend more on my ears to bird now.
Wow … that’s a memory from my past. The Bird Song Tutor of which you refer was my very first narrated production. To complete it, I threw together a small, inexpensive sound studio in a storage room. That got me started and, almost miraculously, here I am today still celebrating the sounds of nature.
I do hope your ears are in good shape. While I can see okay, I’ve been high frequency deaf since I was twelve years old. I miss over half of what birds do, only being able to hear them with a special device I helped develop.
Fortunately my hearing is excellent. I hear the birds, then some one else locates them, describing them if an ID is needed. We still enjoy The Bird Song Tutor, the grand children listen to it during “quiet time.” With your help we are growing 4 future birders. At age five, one of them can identify over 20 backyard birds by sight and is learning their songs. Thank you for sharing the sounds of nature.
Excellent. What a wonderful walk. Thank you for taking me with you.
You’re welcome Brian!
Awesome! I have been working on improving my birding by ear. So great to take a tour just by listening. We had the fun of hosting a red fox family while we lived in NJ – at first I was unsettled by their shrieking at night. We are now in FL where the dawn chorus is quite different. Passing this on to our sons who love nature and hiking. Many thanks Lang
You’re welcome Yolie!
Ahh, glorious! There’s nothing more wonderful than the music of the awakening spring. I think you can add one more species–Song Sparrow (1:00 – 1:15 and 1:30 – 1:45)!
Yep … a number of song sparrows for sure. I think I did mention the species right at the beginning, when I introduced the fox. I actually forgot to include a close recording of a sparrow singing, of which I got several.
What a tranquil, lovely experience! Susan, from Between Naps on the Porch blog spot shared your podcast, and I’m so thrilled she did. It was such fun hearing the calls of birds I’ve heard before but didn’t know the species making the sounds. We have house finches who have made their nest in the small tree by our front door. I love hearing their little voices. Thanks for taking the time to make your recordings so others may enjoy as well.
You’re welcome bobbi!
That was just awesome, Lang! Thank you for the lovely sound tour. Truly music to my ears and so great to hear a fox in there, a nice contrast of sound within the jewel-like morning symphony. Wonderful!
I was completely surprised and extremely please to hear (and record) the fox. It’s been nearly three years since I heard one on our property (or anywhere else, for that matter).
Brought an enormous smile this morning! Thank you, Lang.
hi lang, i must admit, this is one of my favorites. i’m such an amateur at identifying bird calls, that i was thrilled to be a student in your classroom with this podcast since my own backyard offers so many of the same tunes. had to laugh when i heard the northern flicker. it was just the other day my neighbor questioned me about that very bird. oh yeah, your impressions rock!!!
Three cheers for flickers … sounds like maniacal laughter of some sort!
I truly enjoyed your podcast! I hear the birds echo in my own living room..wow!
You have given us all a beautiful gift from Mother Nature at her best. Thank you.
You’re welcome Marilyn!
Neither you nor those creatures used a script. All of you are great.
Although the scientifically minded might argue that some birds voices are more-or-less scripted in their DNA.
no more or less than our voices and languages. Birds of the same specie have different languages in different locations as scientific research has shown. More suble than we as yet can detect.
This was an amazing bird walk podcast Lang I used a good set of earbud headphones to enjoy this. Often when I’m out walking and looking at birds I find a good spot to sit and close my eyes and try to identify what is that I’m listening to it’s amazing how many species you can count just with your ears. Thanks for these great soundscapes and podcasts.
The stereo effect is not that great with my parabola (not anywhere close to my binaural soundscape mic setup), but the parabola allowed me to get fairly clean recordings of species in my noisy surroundings (edge of town, road noise, etc.). In the wilds, I would greatly prefer to record binaurally. But the bird sounds might be more subtle as a result.
The binaural recordings are a whole different thing and on more than one occasion have made me jump because it felt like a bird (an owl I think) felt like was flying into my ear. Now that’s good sound!
What a treat … well done!
is that the whirr of a red-bellied woodpecker at 10:24?
Yup! I decided not to mention that, but maybe I should have. There were also distant calls of crows in a couple of places, but they were so subtle I left them out. My big disappointment was missing two species that I heard and wanted to include, but didn’t manage to record: White-throated Sparrow and Eastern Phoebe.
I know you occasionally come to Connecticut Hill to record- I stupidly interrupted you once when you were on the dike. I’ve been cleaning up some of the old trails there and it is now possible to walk around the Big Pond. Beavers are active there again after bulldozing of their dam and lodge by the DEC. There is also a small beaver pond to the east of the big pond, and a trail that goes around the brushy area to the east of that. Some wet spots and froggy areas off that eastern loop (Bob’s Loop)- I heard wood… Read more »
I’ve done a lot of recording at Conn Hill, although it’s gotten difficult to get binaural soundscapes there due to an increase in jet overflights (some local, others passing over high up). I look forward to checking out the new trails you describe. The more beaver activity the better, at least from my perspective. I may drive up to Conn Hill tonight to see what frogs are singing. I imagine all the woodies are done up there, but maybe not … I heard them cackling in Shindagin Hollow yesterday evening.
Here’s a more recent map of the Ct Hill Rd/Boylan Rd/ Lloyd Starks Rd area. The small pond along LS Rd has renewed beaver activity, hence a nice full pond. Also, beavers have rebuilt their dam (after DEC destruction), on the larger pond to the west the small pond. There’s a nice few of the pond from a trail on the south side. You’ll also see across to the new YFI the DEC put in last year (gsme-bird breeding area, part of the 10 year management plan they started last year)
Thanks so much; I’ll definitely have to check out Bob’s Loop.
Trail entrances are kept intentionally narrow to keep out dirt bikes and ATVs. If you can’t find entrance, just b’whack north intersection to intersect Bob’s Loop a little ways in. I heard wood frogs on the south leg of outlet (stream)loop, which comes off of Bob’s Loop to the east (marked in red as part of 4-mile hike).
I just visited what was an incredibly beautiful meadow flanked by a dense stand of Norway Spruce. I was shocked to find the entire area is now a huge clearcut with big piles of leftovers shoved to its edges. OK … maybe it’ll be a beautiful meadow, but those giant piles of limbs and discarded trunks will take many, many hears to rot.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3529047,-76.6917796,454m/data=!3m1!1e3
You had the same gut reaction that I had! This is a project from year 1 of the DEC 10-year plan for Ct Hill, in which they will remove 1200 acres of forest. About 50 acres will be for increased fields, 150 for increased shrub land, and 1000 will be for the creation of YFI’s -young forest initiative areas, where the trees will be left down, and saplings allowed to grow. These will be protected areas for the production of game birds (grouse, turkey, woodcock). I think their main purpose is ultimately to increase the game which brings in money… Read more »
Hey, I heard that, too! But it was close to some of the people noise so decided not to mention, thinking it might have been part of that. Cool to know my hearing was correct!
Wow, Lang! That was an extraordinary gift to my senses. Thank you so much. Living in the city has made me have true compassion for the people, especially our children, who never get to hear these beautiful sounds. These are the calls that ground us and take us back to that peaceful place, that knowledge of belonging to Mother Earth. You are special, indeed.
Thank you Domenica!
On a rainy April morning in N.C. a friend sent me your bird walk with your recorded bird talk. I was immediately transported in mind to our cottage in WI and listening to all my familiar bird friends. Especially the blackbirds. Thanks so much.
You’re welcome Jean!
Such a lovely way to start my day. Thank you for such a fun,educational way learn what birds are aound our area. Well, I’m off now to start my day with my ears perked to hear our lovely habitat.
Diane: let me know what you hear!
Hey Lang – Larry sent me the link to your podcast and I’m really glad he did! Great to hear it all, and your gentle informative narration was a pleasure to listen to. You have the knack of a great teacher! Thanks for sharing a little of what you know. And please come over to my place sometime and let’s go for walk…
David: I well remember when I recorded a woodcock’s flight song in your backyard. It’s still one of my best (loudest) recordings of the flight twitter and whimpering descent. Hopefully I’ll get out your way as spring unfolds, even though I’m in the middle of a big project that will keep me more-or-less bound to my computer until next autumn.
Love this, Lang! Rich, layered, gorgeous voices all. And I love the way you did this – feels like you brought us along with you. Thank you!
You’re welcome Saoirse … it was a lot of fun putting it together. I am still amazed by how many birds greeted me that morning … almost as if they were intentionally posing for photos (but in this case for longing to be recorded).
That was a perfect way to start my day. Thanks so much!
My bird walk on Sunday certainly cheered me up, after so many weeks of rather miserable weather. And it was great that the birds were so cooperative!
wonderful, thankyou. I am posting this on FB to share natures symphony. Thank you for the guidance too!
Share as widely as possible! It is my simple gift to anyone who might be interested.
What a delight! I was in a bad car accident the beginning of Nov. 2017, and I’m still in a wheelchair. I can see the many birds come to our feeders, but I’m not able to hear their morning songs that much…still too cold in Central WI for open windows!
I greatly appreciate your recordings.
Sorry other about your accident and I hope warmer weather comes soon, so you can crack open the windows. Sunday was our first warm day in awhile, but now we’re having a string of them. It’s about time for spring to take command.
Loved this so much, Lang! his will definitely help me identify which birds are visiting my backyard during the day. Thanks, again for such a fun backyard adventure! I know I’ll be listening to this one again and again.
My most exciting bird was the Fox Sparrow. They pass through this time of year, heading for more northern destinations. It was sheer delight to capture the song of one and brought back memories of recording them out on the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec.
Awesome walk with you in your backyard. I love your voice as well as the bird songs and nature sounds. Very relaxing. I had to donate!
And thank you very much for your donation!
Wow! You hit the jackpot, Lang. Now I’m inspired to get up before sunrise and walk to a nearby beaver pond. The quality of the recordings produced by your microphone is amazing. I love this format. I felt like I was walking with you. Thanks for this one.
Thanks John. I am quite excited by the response to this podcast, which I literally threw together without a second thought. There was freedom in not scripting it, which allowed me to speak more naturally.
WOW!!
I am listening with my 6 year old. She loves listening as she is going to sleep. She chose nature sounds instead of stories tonight.
Judy: that’s great. Hope she enjoys the bird walk. I once produced a narrated celebration of the sounds of the night. It was called “A Guide to Night Sounds” and I created it with kids and families in mind. I think it’s still available through Stackpole Books and I’ll bet your daughter would really like it.
Delightful to hear all these spring calls – the fox was a real treat – made my dog bark when she heard it!
Would you call the sound of the fox a “bark”. I think it lies halfway between a bark and a scream.
Lang,
What a magical way to start the day !
My ears are newly ‘awakened’ ……….. 🙂
Won’t ever listen quite the same way on my daily walks.
Thank you………dear heart………thank you !
: >)
What a fun podcast, Lang! It is wonderful how many species you found right there in your own backyard. I believe I heard an Eastern Phoebe just once right before the Fox Sparrow started singing (such a beautiful recording). I have heard the red fox vocalization before, here in the hollow where I live, but had no idea what it was, so I thank you for this mystery solved (as well as that of chipmunk alarm calls)! Happy Spring!
I heard the Phoebe several times but didn’t manage to get a good recording. He was singing inconsistently and kept moving around.
Hi Lang – I love it! So it was a red fox, not a deer! I think there’s one more around 10:18 – a red-bellied woodpecker. Do you hear it? Thanks for this! Ruth
Ruth: Yep, there are Red-bellied’s in the background in several places, and also American Crows. That’s how I got to 26 species of birds, although I only got my parabola focused on 24.
very pleasant:)
Lang, this is a beautiful wake-up! Elegant! Wild! Nearly symphonic! Welcome back!
Thank you Mary. It was quite a rush being out there and recording so many birds. I was elated at the end of it all.
Lang, welcome back! What a great morning call! Elegant, wild, symphonic!