Sound By Nature

Latest Episodes:

138: Dawn Chorus In The Forest Near White Deer Lake Jun 04, 2023

Show notes

This was recorded early on a clear spring morning in the forest near White Deer Lake in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Siskiyou County, California.

The recording starts about an hour before sunrise as the birds were just beginning to sing, and the frogs were winding down their nighttime chorus. You'll hear many different birds on this recording including Great Horned Owl, American Robin, Hammond's Flycatcher, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Mountain Chickadee, Cassin's Vireo, Western Tanager, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Hermit Warbler, Red-breasted Nuthatch and more. One sound I was particularly happy to capture is the booming wing sound of the Common Nighthawk, which is made by males as they dive at females during courtship.

Help this podcast get made by making a donation, becoming a Patreon supporter, or becoming a monthly supporter through Spotify Podcasting. You can do so by visiting the following links-

https://soundbynaturepodcast.com/donations/

https://www.patreon.com/soundbynaturepodcast

You can become a monthly supporter at Spotify Podcasting by clicking the link at the end of this podcast description.

Thank you to my current and past monthly supporters, those of you that have made one-time donations, and my three supporters on Patreon. Every bit of your contributions go directly to the production of this podcast. I truly appreciate your help!

You can see pictures of the area this was recorded, as well as pictures from other locations I have gathered recordings, by visiting the Instagram and Facebook pages for the podcast. You can find them by searching @soundbynaturepodcast.

Questions or comments? Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram, or email me at soundbynaturepodcast@gmail.com

I really hope you enjoy this recording. Thank you very much for listening. Stay healthy, stay safe, stay sound.

137: Thunderstorm At White Deer Lake May 28, 2023

Show notes

This was recorded on a spring afternoon at White Deer Lake in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Siskiyou County, California. The thunder began in the distance with a light breeze blowing through the Ponderosa Pines and White Firs towering above, then clouds rapidly gathered overhead and built into active thunderheads which produced abundant lightning and loud thunder. As the storm slowly moved directly overhead, it began to rain and the thunder became frighteningly loud.

Help this podcast get made by making a donation, becoming a Patreon supporter, or becoming a monthly supporter through Spotify Podcasting. You can do so by visiting the following links-

https://soundbynaturepodcast.com/donations/

https://www.patreon.com/soundbynaturepodcast

You can become a monthly supporter at Spotify Podcasting by clicking the link at the end of this podcast description.

Questions or comments? Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram, or email me at soundbynaturepodcast@gmail.com

Please do something today that will help preserve and protect nature and our environment, our children count on it. Thank you very much for listening. Stay healthy, stay safe, stay sound.

Bonus! Black Bear Mama And Cubs In a Tree At Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park May 21, 2023

Show notes

This was recorded in the middle of a warm, sunny, and breezy day during my camping trip at Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park at the end of April. I was walking along the Lava Springs Trail between the Horr Pond Campground and Crystal Springs when I happened upon a mother Black Bear and her cubs. I saw the mama bear first walking through the thick undergrowth more than hundred feet away. Upon seeing her I clapped my hands a few times to let her know I was there. She stopped and looked in my direction for a moment before making her way towards a large Ponderosa Pine tree. It was then that I noticed her cubs climbing the tree. They stopped about twenty-five or thirty feet up where a large branch jutted out from the trunk. The mother got to the bottom of the tree and began to climb up towards her cubs. She stopped about ten feet below them and made some interesting and peculiar sounds. I luckily had my parabolic microphone with me and was able to record from a safe distance away. I wouldn't have heard any of this with just my ears since the bear was so far away, but the parabolic mic does an excellent job of capturing sounds from a distance and worked really well for this recording. I hope you enjoy it!

136: Dawn Chorus At Bigelow Meadow May 15, 2023

Show notes

This was recorded early on a clear and warm spring morning at Bigelow Meadow in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Siskiyou County, California. A light and steady breeze blew across the willow thickets and a few nearby pine trees which call the meadow home, with the soft roar of the McCloud River, running high with an abundance of snowmelt, heard in the distance.

The recording starts in predawn darkness a little after three in the morning, towards the end of the nightly frog chorus. Even at that very early hour birds are beginning to sing. As the frog chorus slowly subsides, the dawn chorus slowly begins. You will hear an abundance of birds on this recording, which include Black-headed Grosbeaks, Yellow Warblers, MacGillivray's Warblers, Western Wood-pewees, Song Sparrows, Canada Geese, Great Horned Owls, and many more.

Help this podcast get made by making a donation, becoming a Patreon supporter, or becoming a monthly supporter through Spotify Podcasting. You can do so by visiting the following links-

https://soundbynaturepodcast.com/donations/

https://www.patreon.com/soundbynaturepodcast

You can become a monthly supporter at Spotify Podcasting by clicking the link at the end of this podcast description.

Thank you to my current and past monthly supporters, those of you that have made one-time donations, and my three supporters on Patreon. Every cent of your contribution goes directly to the production of this podcast. I truly appreciate your help!

Questions or comments? Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram, or email me at soundbynaturepodcast@gmail.com

Please do something today that will help preserve nature for many generations to come. Thank you very much for listening. Stay healthy, stay safe, stay sound.

135: Tree Ears- Rainy Morning Near A Hidden Seasonal Lake May 08, 2023

Show notes

This was recorded early on a rainy morning near a seasonal lake deep in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Shasta County, California. I set the recording rig up tree ears style on a White Fir and left it for two nights at this location. This episode is from very early on the first morning of the recording. It starts in the darkness of predawn in steady rain near the end of an all night frog chorus and continues into the early morning light. Listen for the eerie calls of a pair of Barred Owls starting at 1:49:44.

No roads or trails lead directly to the seasonal lake near which this was recorded. The Pacific Crest Trail will get you to the general area, but from there it is a very steep off trail hike through dense forest to reach the lake itself. It's in no way easy to get to, but it is a beautiful place that is worth the difficult hike.

The frog chorus lasts through the first half of the episode, if is a little too much for you, skip ahead to about 1:17:30.

Help this podcast get made by making a donation, becoming a Patreon supporter, or becoming a monthly supporter through Spotify Podcasting. You can do so by visiting the following links-

https://soundbynaturepodcast.com/donations/

https://www.patreon.com/soundbynaturepodcast

You can become a monthly supporter at Spotify Podcasting by clicking the link at the end of this podcast description.

Questions or comments? Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram, or email me at soundbynaturepodcast@gmail.com

I really hope you enjoy this recording. Thank you very much for listening. Stay healthy, stay safe, stay sound.

134: Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park- 24 Hours At Conical Depression May 03, 2023

Show notes

This was recorded in spring at Conical Depression in Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park, Shasta County, California. Conical Depression is a wide, shallow crater with a small lake in the middle, which is ringed with tule and cattails, with a wide clearing around the lake which is surrounded by juniper and oak woodland.

I set up the microphone beneath junipers and oaks near the edge of the clearing to record for twenty-four hours. I then took two minutes from every hour and edited it all together, with a short crossfade between each clip, for this episode. It's a departure from the continuous recordings I normally use for full episodes, but I thought it was more than just a bonus episode. I hope this gives you a sense of the variations in the soundscape over a twenty-four hour period in one location.

In this episode you'll hear a variety of birds, including but not limited to Tree Swallows, White Crowned Sparrows, House Finches, Mourning Doves, California Quail, White Breasted Nuthatches, House Wrens, Mallard Ducks, and Great Horned Owls. You will also hear an absolutely cacophonous chorus of frogs that started a little after sunset and slowly diminished through the night into the following morning. Fair warning, the frogs get pretty loud.

I really hope you enjoy this episode. If you do, and you'd like to hear more episodes like it in the future, please let me know. You can find out how to contact the show by reading below.

Help this podcast get made by making a donation, becoming a Patreon supporter, or becoming a monthly supporter through Spotify Podcasting. You can do so by visiting the following links-

https://soundbynaturepodcast.com/donations/

https://www.patreon.com/soundbynaturepodcast

You can become a monthly supporter at Spotify Podcasting by clicking the link at the end of this podcast description.

Questions or comments? Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram, or email me at soundbynaturepodcast@gmail.com

I really hope that this or any of the episodes of the show can help ease a bit of the stress of everyday life. Thank you very much for listening. Stay healthy, stay safe, stay sound.

133: Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park- Evening Campfire May 02, 2023

Show notes

This was recorded on a clear and warm spring evening in the Horr Pond Campground at Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park, Shasta County, California. I built the fire with downed oak branches I gathered from the surrounding forest floor, and started it just before sunset. It burned vigorously at first, then slowly died down as darkness fell and the stars came out.

I recorded this during a six night camping trip at Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park. The park is one of the least visited state parks in California, and is only accessible by boat, canoe, or kayak.

Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park is a little less than five miles as the crow flies from the small, rural farming and ranching community of McArthur and the highway which passes through it. The land between the park and town is flat and open, and sound passes unobstructed across it. Therefore it is not beyond the reach of the noise pollution the town and highway create. That said it's pretty faint on this recording and I didn't feel that it or the few passing aircraft distracted from the sounds of the campfire and the surrounding forest.

Help this podcast get made by making a donation, becoming a Patreon supporter, or becoming a monthly supporter through Spotify Podcasting. You can do so by visiting the following links-

https://soundbynaturepodcast.com/donations/

https://www.patreon.com/soundbynaturepodcast

You can become a monthly supporter at Spotify Podcasting by clicking the link at the end of this podcast description.

Thank you to my current and past monthly supporters, those of you that have made one time donations, and my two supporters on Patreon. Every cent of your contributions go directly to the production of this podcast. I truly appreciate your help!

Questions or comments? Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram, or email me at soundbynaturepodcast@gmail.com

I really hope you enjoy this recording. Thank you very much for listening. Stay healthy, stay safe, stay sound.

132: Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park- Dawn Chorus On Earth Day Apr 29, 2023

Show notes

This was recorded at Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park on the morning of Earth Day in Shasta County, California. It was a clear and crisp spring morning beneath a large oak tree standing beside the Lava Springs Trail at the edge of an oak, pine, and juniper woodland not far from the waters edge. The recording starts in darkness an hour before sunrise and continues into the morning.

I recorded this during a six night camping trip at Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park. The park is one of the least visited state parks in California, and is only accessible by boat, canoe, or kayak. I paddled my canoe loaded with camping gear to the Horr Pond Campground and spent the entire time in almost complete solitude. I only saw two other people there during my entire stay, a very friendly couple who lived locally and were visiting for the day. Otherwise, I had the place entirely to myself, which was a real treat. I made many recordings while I was there, and look forward to sharing some of them with you in the near future.

Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park is a little less than five miles as the crow flies from the small, rural farming and ranching community of McArthur and the highway which passes through it. The land between the park and town is flat and open, and sound passes unobstructed across it. Therefore it is not beyond the reach of the noise pollution the town and highway create. That said, in addition to a few passing aircraft, it's not too loud and I didn't feel that it distracted from the abundance of sound created by the nearby waterfowl and songbirds.

Help this podcast get made by making a donation, becoming a Patreon supporter, or becoming a monthly supporter through Spotify Podcasting. You can do so by visiting the following links-

https://soundbynaturepodcast.com/donations/

https://www.patreon.com/soundbynaturepodcast

You can become a monthly supporter at Spotify Podcasting by clicking the link at the end of this podcast description.

Thank you to my current and past monthly supporters, those of you that have made one time donations, and my two supporters on Patreon. I truly appreciate your help!

Questions or comments? Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram, or email me at soundbynaturepodcast@gmail.com

I really hope you enjoy this recording. Thank you very much for listening. Stay healthy, stay safe, stay sound.

131: Predawn Beside Bigelow Creek Apr 17, 2023

Show notes

This was recorded in the predawn hours beside Bigelow Creek in Bigelow Meadow Botanical Area, Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Siskiyou County, California. There was still several feet of snow blanketing the forest floor and the creek was flowing well, whereas at this time last year what little snow there was had long since melted and the creek was dry. After a couple years of severe drought, it's very nice to see so much water back on the land.

I recorded this using the tree ears recording technique, in which a microphone is fixed to either side of the trunk of a tree. In this case the tree was a standing dead White Fir(Abies concolor) that was beside the creek. I snowshoed about three and a half miles from the highway to set up the microphones and recorder on the afternoon prior to this recording, and came back to retrieve it the next day. This part of that recording is from the time late at night and early in the morning when there is mostly no air traffic. In this four and a half hour recording there is only one distant jet passing by.

Help this podcast get made by making a donation, becoming a Patreon supporter, or becoming a monthly supporter through Spotify Podcasting. You can do so by visiting the following links-

https://soundbynaturepodcast.com/donations/

https://www.patreon.com/soundbynaturepodcast

You can become a monthly supporter at Spotify Podcasting by clicking the link at the end of this podcast description.

Thank you to my current and past monthly supporters, those of you that have made one time donations, and my two supporters on Patreon. I truly appreciate your help!

Questions or comments? Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram, or email me at soundbynaturepodcast@gmail.com

I hope wherever you are in the world this recording provides you with a bit of solace from the many stresses of everyday life. Thank you very much for listening. Stay healthy, stay safe, stay sound.

Bonus! Lesser Goldfinch Singing Beside The Sacramento River Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

This was recorded on a cool and partly cloudy spring day beside the Sacramento River in the Sacramento River Bend Area, Tehama County, California. I set up the microphone at a small opening in the dense vegetation growing along the muddy bank of the river. The river was running high and swift, which was very nice to see after the past couple years of drought. A Lesser Goldfinch foraged in the willows just to the right of the mic, then stopped to sing its song.

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