Although I’ve recorded in many parts of the southern half of Oregon, I’ve never visited the northeastern portion. This area is known to be home to some beautiful mountain ranges and lots of wildlife. I realized after my earlier trips this spring, that I’d fallen into a rut of visiting the same places again and […]
Exploring northeastern Oregon, Part 1 Read More »
It seemed like it would never come. After months and months of snow and ice, spring finally appears to be here. And after a wet winter and spring, the plants and animals are responding with vigor. I can’t keep up with the lawn and weeds in my yard, but I’m still pleasantly surprised when I
At last, spring arrives Read More »
I was cleaning up my archive of nature sound recordings and ran across a lovely pre-dawn recording from the mountains north of Mimbres, New Mexico. In this rather remote area between two large wilderness areas was a small USFS campground where I stayed for a couple of nights back in June of 2015. It was
The only constant is change Read More »
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 »
A quick trip to Lassen Volcanic National Park to see the impact of the Dixie Fire reveals some new sounds of the changing forest.
Dead Trees Talking 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 »
As I usually do in early July, this last summer the dog and I headed off to the hinterlands of northern Nevada. The trip is timed to allow us to get far from civilization to spare Shadow the horrors of fireworks. This years trip took us across central Nevada to Ruby Lakes Wildlife Refuge, then
That time when the dog got stoned Read More »
Following my amazing southwestern recording trip with Lang Elliott, I stopped at Bears Ears National Monument on the way home. I had my sights set on two areas to explore: Comb Ridge and Cedar Mesa. I whet my appetite for the place with a recently released book, Behind the Bears Ears, by R.E. Burrillo, which
Celebrating Bears Ears Read More »
Among the many wonders to be found in southeastern Arizona is Aravaipa Canyon. The heart of this isolated canyon shadows Aravaipa Creek, with about 12 miles of it being included in the Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness. It’s a lush canyon, with permanent water, and home to a huge variety of wildlife. I’ve visited and written about
