With some writing projects behind me (or at least on someone else’s desk for a while), I finally have some time to get out and do some recording. In mid May, I headed south to Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, which is a lovely swatch of rolling grassland and riparian areas, only about 25 miles […]
Till the cows go home Read More »
Threading its way north from the mountains of northern Mexico, the San Pedro River meanders to the Gila River, then westward to join the Colorado River on its way back to Mexico. It is one of the few remaining undammed rivers (in the desert, they call any flowing water a “river”) in the US. It
San Pedro River–the thin fragile line Read More »
Awhile back, I wrote a blog post about singing mice. I’ve been wanting to learn more about this topic every since, but was stymied by the lack of mice in my yard. This winter my veggie garden was overwhelmed by rodents that seemed determined to make sure I never got a taste of fresh broccoli.
The cactus deermouse sings Read More »
It’s been a warm spring here in the Sonoran Desert. Temperatures have been running 10 to 15 degrees above normal for weeks. The super El Niño we were looking forward to moved up to the Pacific Northwest, leading to disappointment over the prospect of a super flower year (although I hear parts of central California
Spring in the Sonoran Desert Read More »
It’s been a pretty good winter in northern Nevada. Lots of snow in the Sierras, and just enough cold to make you long for summer. El Nino, so far, has meant that northern California and northern Nevada have been seeing a lot of snow, rain, and cloudy weather. I spent late December and early January
I visited Bosque del Apache wildlife refuge in early December, 2015. I had visited a couple of years ago, but was unsuccessful in getting many decent recordings (see Bosque del Apache). This time my goal was to get some recordings of the tens of thousands of Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese that winter at the
The language of Sandhill Cranes Read More »
Lake Tahoe holds a special place in my heart. As a teenager, I swam in its frigid waters, cross-country skied on it’s slopes, spent a night or two sleeping on its beaches, backpacked it’s wilderness, and even spent a couple of summers working in a state park on its northern shores. I’ve marveled at its
The changing soundscapes of Lake Tahoe Read More »
Another autumn has rolled around, leaves are changing, days growing shorter, and temperatures are getting cooler. Once again, the fall finds me in pursuit of autumn sounds, of which my favorite is the bugle of rutting bull elk. A couple of years ago, I had a successful time recording elk at Quemado Lake in New
I recently returned to Arizona, after spending the entire summer in northern Nevada. My first stop on my way south was in the newly designated Basin and Range National Monument in southern Nevada. I spent the first night at a little campground on the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, which comprises a series of wetlands near
Seeking quiet in eastern Nevada Read More »
I love the transition in sounds as day fades into dusk and then evening, especially in late summer when the chorus of crickets and tree crickets creates a repetitious and soothing melody. I find recording at this time of day challenging, though, as man-made sounds, particularly vehicle traffic, are still quite loud. The early evening
Night falls on the Carson River Read More »
This summer has been a tough one for recording. With much of the mountainous west either on fire, freshly blackened from a fire, or waiting to burn, camping out in the mountains while hoping for something to record is a scary proposition. I’ve spent most of my time sequestered away from the heat working on
One marsh, many voices Read More »
I made my annual summer migration from southeastern Arizona to northern Nevada a few weeks ago, stopping to record along the way. My first stop was in the Blue Range of east-central Arizona, a land of conifers and beautiful grassy meadows. Much of this area was impacted by the 2011 Wallow Fire, and the hillsides
