One of my favorite places to visit and record in northern Nevada is Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, near Fallon. It’s a collection of ponds, ditches, and marshes, where the Carson and a portion of the Truckee Rivers end. It is such a critical oasis in the arid Great Basin that it’s part of the Western […]
Seasons of Stillwater revisited Read More »
This year I decided to expand the acoustic monitoring that I’ve been conducting at the River Fork Ranch in northern Nevada. The Nature Conservancy has been supported of my efforts by graciously providing access to preserves, so I decided to try to monitor at other TNC preserves. In April of this year, I headed south
Like most summers, this year I took a trip in late June/early July, ostensibly to save Shadow from the horrors of 4th of July fireworks. And once again, I found myself on border between northern California, northern Nevada, and southern Oregon. It was a good trip, with a few breezes, but overall good weather, no
Spring has arrived full force in the western US, and with it the bird breeding season. Resident birds and newly arrived migrants are singing up a storm as they set up territories and attract mates, adding an incredible sonorous background to our daily lives. In early April, I headed over the Sierras to see and
Early spring in the Sierra Nevada foothills Read More »
One of my interests since I began nature sound recording is how acoustic information can be used for scientific purposes. When an animal is recorded, a lot of information is saved. The identity of the species, the type of call, the date, the location. While each individual data point may not be that useful in
Comings and goings at a northern Nevada wetland Read More »
Part of my recording tour of the southwest with Lang Elliott this spring took us to Big Bend National Park. From a westerner’s perspective, this is the end of the earth. It’s a long, long ways from anywhere, even by Texas standards. But this remoteness, incredible topography, and habitat diversity make it a good spot
The beaver pond at the end of the road Read More »
In far northeastern California lies a remote range of mountains known as the Warner Mountains. More than 90 miles long, they hug the California-Nevada border, and just cross into Oregon east of Lakeview. The peaks at the southern end approach 10,000 ft, while those in the north only rise to a little over 8,000 ft.
Exploring the Warner Mountains Read More »
Well, it’s been quite a while since I posted here, as I’ve been recovering from knee replacement surgery. Recovery has been quite the ordeal, with hours and hours of physical therapy every day. But the strength and flexibility is coming back, just in time, as the trees and shrubs are starting to bud, the spring
Spring is taking its good old time arriving in northern Nevada, and everything seems a bit behind schedule. I recently headed over to Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge to see how things were progressing. The birds at the refuge were not waiting – they were in full breeding mode, which means making a lot of racket.
Spring arrives at Stillwater Read More »
Winter still has it’s cool and windy grip on northern Nevada, so I’m digging into the archives from last summer for some recordings to share. In July of last year, after visiting and recording in the Santa Rosa Mountains, I traveled to Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge in southeastern Oregon. I first visited Hart Mountain
Hart Mountain Summer Read More »
Last October, the dog and I took a lovely hike down Summit City Canyon, near Carson Pass in the Sierras. I last hiked this canyon more than 40 years ago, and remembered it as one of my all-time favorites. The only problem with it is that there is no easy way to get there. Most
Voices in the forest Read More »
The snow is falling in the Sierras and northern Nevada has settled into its winter soundscapes. Insects have gone quiet and the birds are too busy looking for food to make much noise. It’s a good time to organize and sort out the huge number of sound files I collected last spring and summer. One
On a warm summer evening Read More »
