I was perusing the internet recently (a bad habit), when I ran across something someone posted about fireflies. I don’t remember the gist of the article, but it did remind me of a magical experience I had with fireflies last summer in the mountains of eastern Arizona. I was actually there to try to record […]
Starry skies and fireflies Read More »
The dawn chorus is a wonderful, natural phenomenon in which many birds do most of their singing at or before the first light of day. It is most obvious during the spring, as birds set up territories and go about attracting mates. In southern Arizona, the resident birds begin singing in February, and many are
Chasing the dawn chorus Read More »
Day 7 of my border to border road trip. I left Kalispell under light clouds, but as I drove further south the clouds became heavier and heavier, and by the time I stopped in Dillon to refuel, it was raining. It rained intermittently until I arrived at my destination, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge,
Soggy night at Red Rock Lakes Wildlife Refuge Read More »
In late June, 2016, I travelled through southern and eastern Utah, looking for good places to record wildlife and good places to hike. So after I left wolf country, I headed north. It was still hotter than blazes, so rather than seeking colorful sandstone, I was looking for cool, shady forests. I had recently re-read
Travels in southern Utah Read More »
In June of this year, I headed back to lobo (Mexican wolf) country in northern Arizona. I drove up to a remote camping area near Escudilla Mountain, arriving on a cloudy and windy afternoon. On the way up to the camp site, I passed several elk cows with small calves at their heels. I set up
El Lobo, part 3: surrounded by ghosts Read More »
I need quiet the way an alcoholic needs a drink. By “quiet” I don’t mean absolute silence, the kind that can only be found in an anechoic chamber. My version of quiet is free from man-made noise, anthropophony, in Bernie Krause’s terms. No machines, no screaming and yelling, no loud music. Sometimes I really crave
Seeking a little quiet Read More »
An interesting article came across my desk recently. Entitled, “Ecological homogenization of urban USA,” it presented some recent research on landscape structure within some of the major US cities, compared to their surrounding ecosystems. In general, there is a great similarity among neighborhood landscapes, whether they are in Phoenix, Baltimore, Miami, or Boston. The “idealized”
Urbanizing the soundscape Read More »
I just finished reading Gordon Hempton and John Grossman’s book, One Square Inch of Silence, about Hemptons’ attempt to preserve the quiet of the Hoh rainforest in Olympic National Park, Washington. Hempton is an Emmy-winning nature recordist (yes, it’s possible!) who has traveled the world seeking not only natural sounds, but quiet landscapes. Three trips
The Search for Quiet Read More »
In my many years of wandering around the mountains, I’ve come across a few canyons where the echoes sound distinctly like human voices, in conversation, somewhere else in the canyon. No one is there, it’s just the reflections of the gurgles of the creek, usually. I’ve run into this sensation along Eagle Creek in Wyoming,
Around the world, during the warmer months, the beginning of the day is heralded by bird melodies. But in addition to being wonderful alarm clocks, the dawn chorus reflects how birds have adapted their singing to both ambient conditions and interspecific competition. Most bird song is for territory defense and attracting mates (female birds often
The Dynamic Dawn Chorus Read More »
A recent article in BBC News Magazine highlights some fascinating research being conducted on how tuned in we are to bird song. People find birdsong relaxing and reassuring because over thousands of years they have learnt when the birds sing they are safe, it’s when birds stop singing that people need to worry. Birdsong is
The importance of bird song Read More »
On a recent trip to New Mexico, to do some recording and get out of the southern Arizona heat, I stopped by the Gila River to camp. I set up camp in a grove of large cottonwood trees, about 100 yards from the river. My dog, Shadow, and I spent the afternoon playing in the
Things that go bump in the night Read More »
