Note: For a realistic spatial listening experience, please use headphones or earbuds.
Desert Sojourn is a 25-minute audio podcast commemorating my late March visit to 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. For most of my visit, I was accompanied by Christine Hass of Wild Mountain Echoes (thank you Christine for helping with my pronunciations of Mexican words).
Featured species include: Elf Owl, Great Horned Owl, Western Screech-Owl, Common Poorwill, Greater Roadrunner, Gambel’s Quail, Gila Woodpecker, Cactus Wren, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Northern Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Scott’s Oriole, Black-throated Sparrow, Canyon Towhee, House Finch, Windblown Cactus, Bee Buzz, Crickets, and more!
A Personal Note: It’s been over a month since my last blog post, and nearly two months since my last podcast. My apology, but I have discovered that it’s very difficult to stay on top of things while I’m doing field work. Obtaining great recordings is my primary goal because all else is dependent on that. I’m disappointed at not being able to pump out podcasts in a more timely fashion, but that’s the way it goes … eventually, I will get them all done!
During my stay in Arizona, which will soon come to an end as I move north, I have managed to gather wonderful recordings from a variety of locations. My favorite has been Aravaipa Canyon and I very much look forward to creating a podcast celebrating that natural area. So please be patient and stay tuned!
Naturally Yours,
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I’m getting ready to take a road trip from Vegas through Southern California and into Arizona’s Sonoran desert. I’ll be bing- listening to Lang’s podcasts.
Thank you for this excellent soundscape and your commentary on the different species in Organ Pipe. Well done and great wind sound at end!
Ah, loved to re hear your desert sounds when I went to see if you had any new recordings and stories. Your Organ Pipe recordings are so fabulous.
Hope you are doing well and look forward to your updates.
Those owls–all of them–are hilarious, especially the Elf owls. What a hoot, pun intended! Beautiful sounds, Lang. So evocative of that huge, open country!
Oh, you made this room sound so pleasant. Loved the cactus at the end.
Sweet , really enjoy the commentary along with the most excellent recording.
Thanks Dick! I hope to start my next podcast soon. A perfect activity for windy weather.
Not problema always with Lang
Love the Cactus singing in the wind . . . I could just see it!
Thank you Lang for opening our ears & eyes to the desert 🙂
I turn on your music every day here in Fresno. Gets me out of the city! Grew up in the woods of northern Idaho and I miss it.
Your recordings are stunning and remind me of my days growing up in southern Arizona, Casa Grande adjacent to Papago Indian Reservation and near Organ Pipe and Ajo, Arizona. You forgot to mention the ‘boojum tree’?
Absolutely stunning from my memories! Thanks. I just clothes my eyes and I am there! Most people who visit Arizona, never hear this, and too bad.
“Under the shade of the Boojum Tree”! My high school english teacher had this farcical newspaper column with of course interesting articles.
http://treepicturesonline.com/boojum89.jpg
Mark: Glad to hear you like it! I’m pretty pleased, considering it represents only six days of work, which included several breezy periods. I’ll check out the Boojum Tree as soon as I have a moment of rest. Today I head to Aravaipa Canyon (East entrance) and it’s my third visit. I look forward to producing a podcast about that wonderful spot, which is a breath of fresh air in the desert.
I presume you did not make it up to the Northwest habitats of Washington Olympic National Park coastal section. Your Sonoran Desert investigation and Aravaipa was stunning and I very much enjoyed. Did you locate the Boojum tree?