Northwest Soundscapes

Ah, the mighty Eastward BNSF Freight Train. Here we listen to it's mighty roar as it progresses on a westward migration. Stunning in it's majesty, rare to find in its pristine, untouched habitat: the long tracks. Like its cousin, the Westward BNSF, it beats the ground in a display of dominance guaranteed to attract attention and hopefully a mate. A rather more recent introduction to the Pacific No...

What a difference 12 hours makes. In that amount of time, this exact same location will transform from a morning café of Red-Winged Blackbirds, Sparrows, Robins, Squirrels, and distant water run-off wash, into a wall of amphibious sonority: https://soundcloud.com/soundeziner/pacific-chorus-frogs-dusk-down

I sat a with a few of my newest tiny friends tonight, letting sing away in my ears through a parabolic reflector. Recorded simultaneously with my usual Double mid-side rig 50 feet away, you can hear these frogs audibly on the left side in in that track here: https://soundcloud.com/soundeziner/pacific-chorus-frogs-dusk-down

Downmixed from a double-mid-side recording. The Pacific Chorus Frogs are out in full-bloom already. If you listen closely, the frogs highlighted in the parabolic track are audible primarily in the left channel. Hear that track here: https://soundcloud.com/soundeziner/pacific-chorus-frogs-dusk?in=soundeziner/sets/nws_sidetrips

The Colockum Wildlife Area in Washington is apparently a popular hunting destination. Fortunately, at this time of the year there is no hunting to be had, so the whole area was quiet, mostly absent of humanity, including campers or hikers. In the three days I spent here I saw only one other face. I had plenty of non-human friends keeping me company, so I was alone, but not all alone. Bernie Krause...

On the morning of 06 July, 2016, I awoke to the mellow “poor-will-low” of a Common Poorwill and the distant “peents” and later the croaking “booms" of Nighthawks. Both Poorwills and Nighthawks are members of the nocturnal Nightjar family. I’ve gotten used to hearing them for the short period after everyone else has roosted for the night or just before dawn, but until recently I hadn’t been able to...

Giant three-bladed wind turbines dominating the landscape of the Wild Horse Wind Facility in Kittitas County, WA. The facility provides on of the main entrances to the Colockum Wildlife Area and Naneum Ridge, so I stopped to record on my way through. Pictures don't do their size justice. Each blade in the length of a 747, so just imagine three jetliners spinning around overhead and you have an ide...

Giant three-bladed wind turbines dominating the landscape of the Wild Horse Wind Facility in Kittitas County, WA. The facility provides on of the main entrances to the Colockum Wildlife Area and Naneum Ridge, so I stopped to record on my way through. Pictures don't do their size justice. Each blade in the length of a 747, so just imagine three jetliners spinning around overhead and you have an ide...

I camped out off Brewton Road near Colockum Pass for the first night. Falling asleep to the sounds of distant lowing cattle. In the morning I awoke to the mellow “poor-will-low” of a Common Poorwill and the distant “peents” and later the croaking “booms" of Nighthawks. Both Poorwills and Nighthawks are crepuscular members of the Nightjar family. I’ve gotten used to hearing both for a short time af...

Part of my occasional "Will It Whoosh" mental warm up, where I take 10 minutes to put something on a string and twirl it in front of a microphone to see if it'll whoosh. A squeaker (as you would find in a giggle tube or a stuffed animal), on some monofilament fishing line (not the best choice as monofilament is kind of whistle-y). Does it whoosh: yes Download it. Use it. Let me know.

Part of my occasional "Will It Whoosh" mental warm up, where I take 10 minutes to put something on a string and twirl it in front of a microphone to see if it'll whoosh. A squeaker (as you would find in a giggle tube or a stuffed animal), on some monofilament fishing line (not the best choice as monofilament is kind of whistle-y). Does it whoosh: yes Download it. Use it. Let me know.

Part of my occasional "Will It Whoosh" mental warm up, where I take 10 minutes to put something on a string and twirl it in front of a microphone to see if it'll whoosh. A squeaker (as you would find in a giggle tube or a stuffed animal), on some monofilament fishing line (not the best choice as monofilament is kind of whistle-y). Does it whoosh: yes Download it. Use it. Let me know.

Part of my occasional "Will It Whoosh" mental warm up, where I take 10 minutes to put something on a string and twirl it in front of a microphone to see if it'll whoosh. A squeaker (as you would find in a giggle tube or a stuffed animal), on some monofilament fishing line (not the best choice as monofilament is kind of whistle-y). Does it whoosh: yes Download it. Use it. Let me know.

Just your typical Saturday-evening raven conversation. “Hi there!” “Hey there!”

Ravens and crows never cease to amaze me with the range of vocalizations they have beyond the mere “wonk-wonk" and “caw-caw” we normally think of them having. They have a high degree of intelligence and communication ability. I really wish I could sit in on a translation of these birds and hear what they have to say, “There’s a weirdo down their with a microphone.” “Yeah. I saw.”

Similar to 01 in this series, this is more of that “twittery-pop” call… but… more. This is from a raven that settled somewhere around 50 ft above above me (and some distance away) and proceeded to make this brilliant “twittery-pop”. I knew the “pop” was a common raven call that varied with location and population, but I’d never heard anything like the long trilling twitter made before the pop. A f...

The only thing I can say about this is, aw, aren’t raven’s cool? I mean really, “Wonk”?

There’s really not a lot to be said about this recording. The story IN the recording is worth listening to. The site is a permanent roost for a mob of ravens. This is their home. On a daily basis, though, their home is utilized by a murder of crows as a staging area for their final roost. After a long day of foraging, the crow gang descends to overrun the area before moving along. It’s clear the r...

I’m at a loss for words here. I have no idea what’s happening above my head. My first thought was that the raven was smacking something against a tree branch, possibly an oyster shell (oysters are plentiful in the area and popular corvid-food). Listening back, however, it’s clear this is an internally-created sound from a raven. Snapping its beak? There’s a little “gulp” sound it makes occasionall...

This is from a raven that settled somewhere around 50 ft above above me (and some distance away) and proceeded to make this brilliant “twittery-pop”. I knew the “pop” was a common raven call that varied with location and population, but I’d never heard anything like the long trilling twitter made before the pop. A few times after the “pop” you can hear it either gulp or beak snap. The twitter and...

From the pre-twilight still silence to a sun-risen cacophony of birds, squirrels, and elk. Just outside the fence of the Coffin Game Reserve in the Colockum Wildlife Area of Washington state on the morning of 2016, July 8. An elk herd sleeps nearby. In the silent distance, coyotes yip and bay. A male elk bugles to wake the herd. A nighthawk calls in the distance. After stirring the elk migrate pas...

Drummers gather to celebrate at Womxn's March Seattle while marchers continue to move through. A rolling wave cheer sweeps through the crowd. Chanters pass by, calling, "Hey-hey, ho-ho, misogyny has got to go!". The drummers stop amidst cheers as more chanters call, "Build a bridge, not a wall!" All the while a news helicopter circles above, reverberating through the downtown. On January 21st, 201...

Indigenous tribal members chant, "You can't have justice on stolen land!" near the start of the Womxn's March in Seattle. They are followed by singing and hand drums. Marching to the side, rather than directly in the route, they remind us a struggle that has too long been ignored. On January 21st, 2017, Seattle joined forces and unite for the Womxn’s March on Seattle in solidarity with the nationa...

Bookended by massive march-length cheers, a frontline group marching at the Womxn's March in Seattle chants in call-and-response, "Tell me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looks like!" On January 21st, 2017, Seattle joined forces and unite for the Womxn’s March on Seattle in solidarity with the national Women’s March on Washington D.C. and other sister events around the world. Wit...

After pausing to listen to a speaker, the frontline demonstrators marching at the Womxn's March in Seattle resume with a call-and-response chant. "Say it loud, say it clear: Refugees are welcome here!" On January 21st, 2017, Seattle joined forces and unite for the Womxn’s March on Seattle in solidarity with the national Women’s March on Washington D.C. and other sister events around the world. Wit...