The Music of Nature Blog
Hi Friends! Welcome to my Music of Nature blog, an ever-growing collection of free online articles, place-based celebrations, audio postcards, photo and video studies, musings and more … all created in celebration of the voices of the natural world.
Scroll down to access recent publications or else drill down via the category links. You may also search for specific content (such as individual species) by using the search box below.
Free Newsletter:
Binaural Soundscapes | Podcasts | Videos | Birds | Mammals | Amphibians | Reptiles | Insects | Ramblings | Miscellaneous
Porcupine Panderings
Ever heard a Porcupine squeal in the dark of the night? Well, I heard and recorded a squealing porcupine long ago in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, and that’s why I was able to identify the source of the mysterious sounds I captured just a few weeks ago in my beloved Shindagin Hollow …
Coqui Magic Nightscapes
Just for fun, I’ve been exploring recordings from my trip to Puerto Rico in March of 2013, especially those gathered in the El Yunque National Forest where Coqui frogs fill the rainforest with vibrant melodies. Featured here are four amazing nighttime soundscapes that will give you a taste of what it sounds like deep in the forest in the wee hours before dawn …
Catskill Beaver Pond
I’m fresh back from a workshop retreat with David Abram in the Catskill Mountains and I managed to get some interesting nighttime soundscapes at a nearby beaver pond complex. Featured are the howls and yips of Coyotes (Coy-Wolves?), the screams of a Barred Owl, and the chips of a Flying Squirrel …
Crickets, Drip, Owls and Peepers
Tomorrow, I’m off to the Catskills to attend a workshop with David Abram, author of the splendid book “Spell of the Sensuous.” Should be fun. But to keep y’all happy while I’m gone, I’ve decided to post a new immersive binaural (3D) soundscape … I’m calling it Crickets, Drip, Owls and Peepers and I recorded it on the 25th of September 2017 in nearby Shindagin Hollow.
The Clucking Munks
Did you know that chipmunks respond to hawk fly-bys with a special “aerial predator alarm call” … a hollow, resonant cluck … cluck … cluck … cluck … cluck … that is unmistakable? Well, perhaps you’ve heard it but didn’t know who was making it or why … it sounds like this …
Light Rain and Blue Jays
Featuring light rain and the calls of blue jays and spring peepers, this remarkably immersive 3D binaural field recording is best appreciated by listening over headphones.
Desert Sojourn – Podcast
I’m pleased to announce a 25-minute podcast featuring 3D binaural nature recordings that I gathered in Organ Pipe National Monument in southern Arizona … 300,000 acres of prime Sonoran Desert habitat, a veritable wonderland for nature lovers and sound recordists such as myself.
Las Cienegas National Conservation Area
In early to mid-April of 2017, I made two visits to Las Cienegas National Conservation Area (altitude 4600 feet), a showcase refuge of grassland and riparian forest located about eight miles north of Sonoita, Arizona. I had very good luck recording there …
Pena Blanca Lake
In early April of 2017 I made a brief, evening-to-dawn visit to Pena Blanca Lake (elevation 4000 feet) in the scenic Pajarito Mountain foothills to the northwest of Nogales, Arizona. A popular destination for nature lovers, the lake and its surroundings yielded some very exciting recordings.
Organ Pipe National Monument
In late March of 2017, I spent nearly a week recording at Organ Pipe National Monument in extreme southern Arizona next to the Mexican border. I had very good luck, recording both day and night in the Sonoran Desert habitat, surrounded by Saguaro, Organ Pipe, Cholla and Prickly Pear cacti …
Big Bend Sound Delights – Podcast
I’m pleased to announce a 21-minute audio podcast commemorating my early to mid March visit to Big Bend National Park in Texas. Along with bees buzzing, great insect choruses, and the gurgling of the Rio Grande, enjoy the songs of Canyon Wren, Cactus Wren, Mexican Jay, White-winged Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Great-Horned Owl, Elf Owl, Western Screech-Owl, and more! …
The Voices of Lost Maples – Podcast
Hi all! I’ve just finished my podcast commemorating my March 6-8 visit to Lost Maples State Natural Area in the Hill Country of Texas. I was accompanied by my field assistant Beth Bannister and we had a topnotch “nature sound experience” there. Please join us in our adventure …
Pauraques On My Mind – Podcast
At long last, I have finished my podcast for the Lower Rio Grande Valley. It is long overdue; it’s been almost two weeks since Beth Bannister and I zoomed through the region. Features recordings of Common Pauraque, Plain Chachalaca, Green Jay, Great Kiskadee, White-tipped Dove, Eastern Screech-Owl, and more!
Big Bend National Park
I arrived in Big Bend National Park on March 9, accompanied by my field assistant Beth Bannister. The Park was super-crowded because of college students on their spring break, but we were fortunate to obtain a camp spot in the popular Basin Campground, high in the Chisos Mountains …
Lost Maples Natural Area
From March 6-8, field assistant Beth Bannister and I explored Lost Maples State Natural Area, in the Hill Country near Vanderpool, Texas. I’ve recorded at Lost Maples a number of times and was excited to visit, but was concerned that there would be little to record so early in the spring. I’m happy to report that was I wrong …
