Early morning chorus at Shindagin Hollow beaver pool. 6:15am, 20 May 2016. © Lang Elliott.
Last night I camped out in Shindagin Hollow. I laid my super-comfy sleeping mat directly on the ground next to a small pond created by beaver (although there was no fresh sign from the beaver). At around 11pm, I crawled into my sleeping bag with my soundscape mic placed nearby, just in case something exciting happened during the night.
Aside from the occasional hoots from a distant Barred Owl, the night was uneventful. I rose at 4:30 am, a little before the first bird songs of the day. The grass around me was frosted. I quickly engaged my mic and then left to meet up with fellow recordist Bob Mcguire. We tested a new microphone setup at a different location and then took a nice walk in the forest, eventually returning to Shindagin Hollow to retrieve my gear.
Listening to my Shindagin capture later in the morning, I’m pleased with what I hear. I consider it a fine and worthy “Morning Meditation,” suitable for relaxed and easy listening. The section that I’ve featured above is quite pleasant, at least to my ear. The primary sound elements are as follows:
Songbirds that I hear (do you hear more?):
So what do you think? Did you enjoy this morning meditation and the wonderful mix of sounds that mother nature has so graciously provided? What a wonderful way to start the day!
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The first time I have listened to this and it feels like the owl is hooting outside my computer. I will listen to it several more time to see if I can recognise any more birds. We live in the UK so I don’t suppose I will recognise too many. It does sound wonderful though.
that’s the magic of binaural recording, which captures aspects of the soundscape that encourage the brain to image the sounds “out there” … as opposed to in your head, or from speakers.
Thank you, what a beautiful to start my day.
You’re welcome Marie.
Beautiful. On my computer speakers, the barred owl localizes on the left, outside of the speakers! What stereo array do you use?
SASS … Stereo Ambient Sampling System by Crown, retrofitted with MKH20 mics. Technically “quasi-binaural,” although I consider it binaural.
I just came back from a week long birding adventure in MN…coming back to work, and finding this recording is a gift extending the impact of time spent in woods surounded by birds.
Thank you for your recordings, and having them loop back so it’s a continual feed of beauty.
Everyone seems to be liking the loop. Luckily, the file downloads on to your computer, so loop doesn’t suck up bandwidth on my end (otherwise, I’d pay dearly for it).
Another lovely recording. I thought I could hear a red shouldered hawk at 3:57. I’m not an expert, but working at learning the bird songs. It’s taking a long time. I agree with you on the magnolia Warbler. I went with an experienced birder yesterday and I saw and heard one. I had trouble picking out the American Redstart.
Very much enjoyed.
Yes, that’s a Red-shouldered Hawk, the “ik-up” call, at 3:58 and later at 6:20.
Beautiful! I LOVE hearing the owls, one of my favorite sounds ever!
shared with a friend in hospital in MI. always happy to enlarge your family of listeners ♥
Greenbird: please share far and wide!
This is indeed a sweet piece, a peace suite. Is there we can purchase and download unique tracks from your blog as singles, the way music tracks are sold, so that we could buy individual works before you have time and energy to compose them into albums? We might wish to buy some that, for whatever reasons, you opt not to include in a collection.
There you go again … “peace suite” … whodathunk of that?
Yes, I am indeed planning to offer tracks for sale as “singles”, right at the end of blog posts plus in a special section where tracks can be browsed. I wonder what a fair price would be for a ten (plus/minus) minute listening experience? Two bucks? Three bucks? Doing it this way (as opposed to creating complete productions for my store) would be much easier for me and would allow folks to gradually accumulate all their favorites. It would also tie-in sales with my blog, which makes complete sense. I’ve held off on producing more titles for my store because,… Read more »
“SOLD to the little lady with the brown bunny for $2.50!” Had to put down my knitting to bid (making sweaters for gray treefrogs …) It’s not easy to compare to music track pricing when duration and content are unique to these disparate genres. Whatever you decide, I’m glad you’re considering singles, and I hope it boosts sales for your other terrific products.
Sharon,
Love that little bunny!
I think the opportunity to buy some of the tracks that Lang might not include in a collection, is a GREAT idea. If there is a favorite, we won’t miss out on it if it’s not included in a specific collection. I would be happy to have that option.
Not only is this recording absolutely gorgeous – it’s so quiet except for the birds and the water! Noise does not obscure any of the beauty. It’s so very difficult to get away from noise – for me, it’s usually impossible. Thanks for sharing this soundscape in all its unpolluted peacefulness.
Lisa: yes, it’s very pristine. Luckily, the hollow is surrounded by steep hills that greatly reduce the sounds of high flying jets and distant traffic. There is a dirt road that goes right through the middle of it, but traffic is minimal. I am very fortunate indeed to have such places to record.
That is perfect! I enjoyed it so much that it just kept repeating for several hours while I worked nearby.
I also wanted to share, each time you mention Shindagin Hollow, I read it as Shinanigan Hollow.
I suppose there’s been more than few shinanigans taking place in the hollow … not involving me, of course.
I used to have a favorite 10-mile loop hike through that very spot back in my Ithaca days. For awhile I was going there several times a week, though I never camped. I remember often hearing the Barred Owls calling, even during the day. BTW, in the spring, there is/was an extremely dense stand of Trillium on the hillside next to the dirt road that goes through the hollow. Thank you for this lovely recording and recapturing a special memory.
Carla: Yes, those Barred Owls do call during the day … not a lot, but more than I would expect.
I especially like this soundscape. Interesting that with you not there and just the microphone turned on you got some really close sounds. Seemed like occasionally a bird was right next to the microphone. That wide range of distances adds something special.
Most of my soundscapes are recorded in my absence. Certainly, I work hard to place my mics in really good locations, so it’s not entirely random. Imagine, though, my excitement when I listen to the results in my studio, allowing me to relive the magic of dawn. Sometime I place one mic for such absentee recording and then carry the other around at a different location, trying to home-in on compelling soundscapes. Both techniques can yield good results, although my success rate is perhaps about one in four (for gathering a “blogable” soundscape).
what an amazing thing to have done–that must have been an incredible experience. thank you so much for sharing with this. you are doing truly rich/complex/beautiful stuff right now. i don’t hear anything else out there like it.
I must admit I’m on a bit of a roll, and nature is accommodating, thankfully. It helps that I live in a pla d where I have access to wild areas that are quiet enough (for varying periods of time) to allow for immersive soundscape recording. Late next week, I head off on an adventure. First to Univ. of Virginia to attend a graduation ceremony, then into nature. I may head to Cranberry Glades in West Va, then on to the hills of southern Ohio and Indiana, and maybe even as far west as Land Between the Lakes, KY. I’ll… Read more »
Just keep doing what you’re doing, because it’s lovely and good.
Thank you, I’ll try. But I somehow gotta figure out how to make enough money to keep doing it. My plan for next year is to embark on a big trip, circling through the West and gathering soundscapes as I go … blogging and podcasting them almost in real time.
It will happen.
now there’s some optimism!
Okay all of you who have been enjoying this gift ” Music of Nature”, from Lang Elliott. Please listen up!
I live solely on Social Security and I just donated $50.00 to Lang’s mission of bringing nature to us.
I challenge all of you to match my donation, or double or triple it, whatever you are able to do will help him to continue to bring nature to us, even when we can’t go out into nature ourselves.
He has given so much, so freely, it’s the least we can do.
Ellen: Thanks for your donation and making the pitch to others … I’m not very good at that. However, I have thought of doing periodic “fundraising drives” similar to how NPR does it. Perhaps every three months or so, I make a personal plea via my newsletter, accompanied by a special soundscape.
Concerning my planned trip, I may initiate a crowdfunding project, maybe through Patreon, or else Kickstarter, etc. People like to support adventures, and my travels would produce very tangible results on my blog and via podcasting. Might work?
It will work! Think it, and it will happen! I just know it!
I just want those who enjoy your work to show some tangible appreciation. I would not like it if I couldn’t go to Music of Nature anymore, and see and hear what you give us each day.
I just want everyone to know, that “if you ignore it, it will go away”. I read that somewhere and it’s so true.
Know you are appreciated!
i think those are good ideas. i also would consider what someone mentioned above–maybe selling these single tracks for downloads, since it may be some while before you, as an artist, feel ready to make a finished product of an album. i would absolutely pay for most of them.
I’m seriously considering doing just that … offering soundscape tracks for sale (as mp3s) at the end of each blog post. I wonder what a fair price would be for 10-15 minute experiences?
my donation was not as big as yours, but i completely agree that donating is the right thing to do. we are all getting SO much beautiful “music” here. It’s important to support that. Don’t take it for granted.
Billie, If we enjoy something, if something brings us nothing else does, if we are blessed by something, if it “takes us to a place” where we can just relax and enjoy the moment, then we need to see to it that it is not ignored, make sure that it won’t just “go away.” I’m glad you feel like I do. I am passionate about my love for the “natural, pristine, untouched world. There is so little of it left, so lets preserve what we have and support those who want the same and can actually do something about it.… Read more »
Bless you and thank you for gift of nature to others.
I know you didn’t make nature, but you bring it to those of us who have very little opportunity to get out in it and immerse ourselves in it. Your recordings help us to do that.
I listen to your beautiful recordings every morning. I live in in a small city, but still very noisy from man made sounds.
Your nature sounds soothe and my mind and spirit.
Thank you Ellen!
well said
Sigh…ain’t nature perfect?
What is is perfect! (sounds like something Osho might have said)
osho! wow, i don’t hear many other people talk about him
I was never an orange-clad sanyasin, but I had a good friend who was. Even though Rajneesh was a bit nutty and things didn’t end well for him, his writings are wonderful.
i never think anyone who isn’t somewhat “nutty” is very interesting. and good endings are never guaranteed, even when you are a saint–well actually i guess espe
cially if you are a saint 🙂
What’s really cool, Lang, is the Least Flycatcher(s) coming in around 3:55. We seem to have so few of those in our area, now. This recording is really great! Your work is very much appreciated. There are a few other birds, but I don’t want to sound off too much. I’ll let others find them.
yep … least flycatcher at 3:55. Che-bek! Che-bek! Thanks Norm! I just added it to the list. p.s. do you agree there’s a Magnolia? And what about Redstart? Be aware that I can’t hear any of those without my hearing device. In this case, I see them on the sonogram and then try to figure out what they are. Sure would be great to have normal hearing!
P.S. Quick re-listen before heading back to work: Yes, I think I hear Magnolia close by at 00:20 and American Redstart at 00:30 a bit off in the distant background. Ovenbird somewhere in there later in the track. Sometimes I miss the boat with bird I.D.s. and warbs are tough. The new microphones sound great! I took an online hearing test last week and it doesn’t seem like I can hear anything above 8kHz (unless I crank up the volume some crazy amount).
Hi! I hear a chickadee doing the” pheebee”,a red wing blackbird and maybe a swamp sparrow…..the trill. And is that a deer snorting at 3:58 and 6:22?
Love these recordings, Lang! We did a recording when we first moved here in 1982 and now it’s sadly quiet compared to that. So glad we did the recording.
Hi there Roo! How is that Martyn-guy doing? Those are Red-shouldered Hawk calls at 3:58 and 6:22; it’s their two-parted “kick-up” call, which is quite different from their more typical “keee-yer”.
Oh my … I confused you with another Roo, wife of nature recordist Martyn Stewart. Sorry about that.
And Red-shouldered Hawk will soon be added to the list!