I’ve long been fascinated by the way sounds interact with the natural environment, especially echoes and reverberations. Over the years I’ve collected some beautiful examples of these resonant atmospheres, from a variety of places – lakes, canyons, and burned forests. Here are the stories behind each recording:
1. Canyon Echoes: in a deep limestone canyon in southern Arizona, Mexican Spotted Owls take advantage of the acoustics to broadcast their calls. As the dawn approaches, they are joined by Common Poorwill, Elf Owls, Mourning Dove, Yellow Warbler, Northern Cardinal, and Canyon Wren. Recorded near Klondyke, Arizona, in 2021.
2. Greeting the Dawn: Loons are masters of using reflections off water to broadcast their calls. After listening to them call off and on all night at a lake in western Wyoming, I recorded this segment of calls as dawn was approaching and the other birds started singing. The lake inlet whispers in the background. The Common Loons were joined by Wilson’s Snipe, American Robins, and Chipping Sparrows. Recorded near Alta, Wyoming, in 2017.
3. Forest Resonance: a lovely morning chorus in a partially burned forest in eastern Arizona, remnants of the Wallow Fire which devoured the area in 2020. The drumming of woodpeckers (probably American Three-toed) on dead trees echoes through the forest, accompanied by White-breasted Nuthatch, Western Tanager, Dark-eyed Junco, Steller’s Jay, Hermit Thrush, House Wren, Hermit Warbler, American Robin, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Warbling Vireo, Brown Creeper, Song Sparrow, Mountain Chickadee, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Mourning Dove, and red squirrel. Recorded near Hannagan Meadow, Arizona, in 2015.
4. Reflections off Earth and Sky: a large, dramatic thunderstorm in northern Nevada sent ground-shaking rumbles and booms bouncing off the rolling sage flats and ominous skies. Recorded on the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada, in 2020.
5. Reflections off water: the master, in my opinion, of manipulating echoes off water has to be the coyote. I was lucky enough to have coyotes come very close to my camp at a lake in western New Mexico, as I was set up to record elk bugling during the rut. Another pack of coyotes call from the far end of the lake, as elk cows chirp and the bulls try to out-bugle each other. A Great Blue Heron squawks from the lake shore, and a Western Screech-owl and Great Horned Owl join the chorus for brief moments. Recorded near Quemado, New Mexico, in 2015.
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