Wind, Ravens and Reeds, recorded at dawn in Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park, Texas. 17 March 2021. Recording and photo © Lang Elliott. Tap photo to view full size.
Note: The recording featured above is a “3D binaural soundscape”. Please wear headphones for a profound listening experience that will make you think you’re actually out there, immersed in the natural world!
During two recent trips to Big Bend National Park in southwestern Texas (one in mid-March and the other in mid-April), the drought was palpable. Dawn choruses seemed suppressed in comparison to what I experienced during a previous visit in 2017, and there was a dearth of natural sounds to record. It was also either too cold and windy or else uncomfortably hot and subdued. Overall, I had trouble capturing useful soundscapes. Nonetheless, with considerable effort, and in spite of the less-than-optimal conditions, I had a number of successes, the recording featured above being one of my favorites. So please don your headphones and enjoy this spacious soundscape as you read about my adventure.
The Story:
At first light on the 17th of March, I hiked the trail that leads into Big Bend’s impressive Santa Elena Canyon, through which the Rio Grande River runs. With near-vertical bare-rock cliffs rising as high as 1500 feet on both sides of the river, the canyon is a geological spectacle and, unsurprisingly, an immensely popular destination for tourists. Fortunately, nobody else was in the parking lot when I arrived, so maybe, I hoped, there would be an adequate window of time for capturing a pristine soundscape before the crowds arrived.
Santa Elena Canyon at Dawn © Lang Elliott. Tap photo to view full size.
As I entered the canyon, I was met by a huge gust of wind. I almost turned around, thinking that it was much too windy to get a good recording, unless I hiked back to my car to pick up my protective “wind box”. But I continued on, knowing that I had to stay well ahead of the onslaught of sightseers that would soon arrive.
The trail rises steeply at first, but then passes over a hump before angling down to a broad flat next to the river. There, a huge patch of Giant Reeds (Arundo donax – also called Carrizo Cane) grows thickly along the river’s edge (bamboo-like in appearance, this invasive from Asia is now common along much of the Rio Grande).
As I approached this dense forest of reeds, I immediately noticed the profusion of snaps, crackles and pops, created as gusts of wind blew against the stiff, dry stems from last season’s growth. “Wow,” I thought … “perhaps the makings of a compelling soundscape?” So I quickly set my microphone at the edge of the patch, placing it on the lee side, to minimize possible distortion caused by wind buffeting the mic itself.
My soundscape microphone set next to the dense patch of Giant Reeds. Photo© Lang Elliott.
No sooner did I hit the record button than a pair of ravens flew near, their low-pitched resonant croaks echoing off the steep canyon walls. How delicious to my ears! Then, to my absolute delight, the ravens flew up and down the canyon for minutes on end, frolicking in the gusting wind and calling to one another repeatedly, thereby allowing me to capture one of the most lovely binaural soundscapes of my spring travels. I wish I could have gotten an even longer recording, but a noisy group of tourists suddenly appeared on the trail, their penetrating voices abruptly putting an end to my recording session.
“Thank you wind! Thank you Ravens! Thank you Reeds!,” I remember yelling out loud, before quickly packing up my gear so as to avoid questions from curious passerbys. As I hiked out of the canyon, I was elated and felt truly blessed to have captured this unique slice of wildness. I was glad I did not return to my car for my wind box … for if I’d done so, the crowds would have arrived just as I was retrieving it and I would have missed my chance at capturing this engaging mix of natural sounds.
Wind, Ravens, Reeds … a nature soundscape extraordinaire!
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I live in central TX and the wind has pretty much blown this year non-stop from March-May. Admittedly, I grew a bit resentful of the wind this year. Your recording makes me feel like I’m lying in a tent at nap time and listening to the lovely sounds of the outdoors-including the wind. Thank you for helping me change my attitude about windy days to a happier one! Your work is phenomenal.
Hello Lang, this is a truly beautiful recording, thank you for sharing with us!!
This is great . . and a wonderful vista! Love the reeds!
I imagine I wouldn’t be the first to suggest you might want to post on TikTok, especially now that they allow 3 minutes (although I think you have to build up to a certain number of followers first)? Whatever the case it is has become such a popular platform.
Genevieve: Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll look into this. Though I wonder if a still photo with an attached sound recording would work there? I would, of course, need to turn it into a video for posting. Have you seen any other TikTok postings with a still photo accompanied by sound?
Truly a wonderful recording, somehow makes me feel very cozy here in my chair.
Great recording, Lang! The photo of me I just posted to your site was taken in a similar situation in the Andes 5 years ago. The altitude above the canyon was a little higher, the wind was a tad stronger, and the condors weren’t as vocal as your ravens. Nevertheless, it was a natural high like you had in Texas.
Keep up the good work, pal!!
Hey Michael! So good to hear from you and I trust all is well in your neck of the woods?
The sensation, feeling of soundscape is pretty close to being there.
Thanks.
Congratulations!
That’s the idea … to capture recordings that are able to transport the listener through sensation and feeling. So that when one closes one’s eyes, the imagination takes hold and it’s almost as-if one is in the wilds. No easy task. And, of course, a powerful photo or two and an engaging narrative help immensely by setting the scene. So I consider the whole package (the entire post) to be an art form of sorts, knowing it’s important to pay attention to all elements involved in order to accomplish the goal.
Hi Lang,
Your latest post was passed along to me today–wonderful. Have stayed in Big Bend NP many times, and in the evening listened to wind whistle through the screen doors in a stone cottage in the Chisos Basin. It’s a fur piece, as they say, to drive from there to Santa Elena Canyon, and get there before sunrise. Did you stay in the Cottonwood campground (Castolon) near the canyon? If so, I’ll need to try that sometime!
Cheers
John: We stayed at a nearby backcountry campsite, Terlingua Abajo. Cottonwood was full up, reservation only due to the pandemic, and kept at half capacity. So no chance of finding a spot there. Only problem with our campsite was no shade whatsoever.
Too bad you weren’t Abajo (aka “Under”) a tree–they’re kinda sparse in ‘ol Terlingua. But, a funky settlement and interesting people. Glad you were able come down Texas way–twice!
Again, compliments on the special sound piece.
Actually, the Terlingua Abajo backcountry campground is just a few miles north of Santa Elena Canyon, and it’s in the park. The town of Terlingua is another 25 miles north. I really like that town. We would go in most every day for burritos and beers, eating in comfort in the cool shade of the restaurant veranda.
This is absolutely gorgeous!! I have it going while working. Delicious! Nothing like a sonorous raven conversation. I love how one is to the right and the other is coming from the left! And the reeds popping. woooow. Well done, Lang!
So glad you like it Julie. And it was great visiting with you when I passed through Ohio toward the end of my journey. I had good luck at Cranberry Glades, in spite of slipping on the boardwalk and falling flat on my back (luckily on the wooden slats). I hit my head hard enough to cause a concussion, but somehow I managed to get up and continue my work. Still feel a bit like a zombie.
So calming and peaceful Would love to listen to this during a yoga session! As a natural science illustrator, this kind of audio is a perfect companion for when I am working, too. Thank you so much for sharing this! I will pay it forward by sharing your work with my sm network once again. (You graciously let me use a wood frog recording of yours to accompany a video of me drawing a wood frog, at which time I credited your work and shared it!)
Thank you Sandy!
Wow, love the echoing of the raven calls– cool, primeval soundscape!
Listening with headphones, I hope …? In the weeks to come, I think I’ll send out a questionnaire to find out how people are listening. Headphones? Earbuds? Laptop or desktop speakers? Or other?
Earbuds… 🙂
Well, you’re probably missing a lot of the low end. And you might also be experiencing a considerable boost in the mids, making the recordings sound a bit “tinny.” At least this has been the case for Apple stock earbuds, which don’t sound anywhere near as good as actual headphones. Of course, there are earbuds that do a pretty good job, but most don’t deliver well at the bottom end. If you have access to a pair of decent headphones, why not check to hear what they sound like in comparison to your buds? And please let me know what… Read more »
So glad you were at Santa Elena Canyon…I rafted the canyon many times when I lived in El Paso, and hiked Big Bend ofter. What a fabulous place.
Stunning … those 1500 feet tall canyon walls are impressive (and sobering) indeed. I tried to imagine what it would be like to be a raven, able to glide down from near the top and then swoop near the water’s surface. I saw one do exactly that. Hard to imagine what it would feel like.
Love this – the echo of ravens, then the reeds in the wind sound much like a spattering of rain here and there to me. Thank you!
Somewhat like freezing rain or sleet?
That’s it…or larger drops on leaves on the ground in the woods!
Oooo, Lang! I already had my headphones on for other work and listened as I read and it was AMAZING. Those echoing calls, and the sound of the wind kind of cooled me off on this hot muggy day!
Margaret: Glad to hear that you like it! And that you’re appreciating the effect over proper headphones. I always worry someone will be listening with earbuds and not perceive the rich low-end portion of my recordings. Some earbuds do okay in that respect, but others have weak bass and boosted mid-frequencies that really play havoc with nicely-balanced soundscapes.
Yeah, the photo sets the scene in a ‘desert canyon high walls’ and the desert Ravens talking to each other plus the winds coming through the canyon and rattling the reeds.
I have not been there before but similar desert mountainous places and fun to close my eyes and remember my past walks.
thanks!!!!!!
I worked real hard to get those photos. Nothing beats an image that truly sets the scene for a soundscape. Wish I was always successful, but it’s actually quite a challenge, especially when recording in near darkness, or during dreary gray days.
Ah… such a nourishing treat this morning. Glad you were patient and able to record this musical magic. I can feel the wind blowing, the reeds rustling, and the ravens soaring thru the desert canyon. Thank you for taking me with you, Lang. Bless your work always.
Lisa: I’m glad you enjoyed hearing about my adventure. It’s telling that I actually cursed the wind at first, but then somehow managed to get one my all-time favorite soundscapes. I am thankful that the reeds blocked most of the gusting; otherwise there would have been a lot of wind distortion, which would have wrecked the recording. It’s very difficult to get a pristine recording when the wind is gusting.
Looking forward to your next recordings from this journey in the SW. I am not able to travel these days, so I truly appreciate these virtual visits to the wild places.
I plan to do a lot of posting over the next few months, after a long quiet spell of traveling and trying to figure out what the heck I’m really trying to accomplish.
Wonderful recording! Having been there recently, the sounds you captured immediately brought me back. To experience this canyon without people must have be amazing. Thank you for the beautiful sounds.
You’re welcome Owen!
Thank you Lang! The ravens sound like they came very close; were they interacting with you, do you think? Or perhaps with that strange, tall, black, 3-legged creature that had appeared by the reeds (your mike set)?
I was standing nearby during this recording and the ravens seemed to show little interest in me or the mic, just flying by as they normally do, often calling as they normally do. However, on a different morning, I left my soundscape mic fairly high on a steep hill while I hiked further down the trail. While I was gone, a raven actually flew right above my mic and dropped a rock right next to it. Wham! I’m so glad it missed the mic. So yes, they show interest at times, especially (I think) when I leave my mic unattended.… Read more »
Lang, Thanks for posting this new work, which is a Delight!
Hey Michael! It would be great to see your pic next to your posts. Please consider adding it via Gravatar: https://musicofnature.com/gravatar/