In the Australian winter, Pied Currawongs often form flocks and search out fruiting trees to raid. I set up my recording gear in front of a native Lilli Pilli tree in full fruit, and it was only a matter of time before the currawongs arrived and enjoyed one of their winter parties!

Currawong Concerto

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Currawong Concerto - Macleay River Valley, Australia

On the morning of 2021 May 17, I stepped out of my tent next to my favorite Okanogan wetland to collect a recorder and microphones I'd left attached to a pole the night. It was a cool, crisp Spring morning, but the life and voices of the marsh and lake were as active as always. This recording covers the Dawn Chorus, from 23 minutes before First Light (at 22:55, 04:46:58 PDT, click the comments below to playback directly) and through Sunrise (at 50:49, 05:14:41 PDT) for almost 90 minutes of what was really hours of singing and foraging.

The wind was light, and the cool air helped project voices across the lake. As always Red-winged Blackbirds, that most North American of wetland songbirds, flew about, singing, chasing, and defining territories. I was delighted to hear a Brewer's Blackbird, a shy cousin of the Red-winged, popping in and out of the mix. Their quick almost mechanical sounding songs can be easy to miss and often confused with a squeak of a fence. They have two prominent songs, a hinge-like squeak (23:39), and a soft "shuk-shuuk" like a film camera auto-winding between frames (24:29). For the '80s kids among us, I think it sounds more like a Kodak Disc Camera, but I digress...

Also hanging out, literally, are a pair of bats just trying to get some sleep (52:14 and later). I would have easily confused their audible chatter for the Tree Swallows that harried them endlessly, but watching it happen with my own eyes confirmed what I later heard on the recording. The 15 foot pole was topped by a large bucket to be used as a nesting box for waterfowl. This morning chattery Tree Swallows were using it as a resting spot between aerial acrobatics. The sleeping bats clinging to the underside of the bucket, however, did not like this idea and would angrily chatter and chase them away, at least until they finally fell fast asleep themselves.

Speaking of chatter boxes, a Song Sparrow (23:31) took up residence on a nearby shrub and lived up to his name, delivering clear variations of his song, playing with melody like a maestro. A Common Yellowthroat (43:47) flew in and out of the same shrub, trying to sing in or around the Sparrow, but his anxious warble never quite had the same thrilling clarity.

Songbirds aren't the only residents here, though. Across the lake, Canada Geese fly in-and-out, bringing their echoing honks with them, Pied-billed Grebes whoop-whoop almost seemingly out of control (47:12).

Prominent voices in this recording include Song Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds, Brewer's Blackbirds, Common Yellowthroats, Canada Geese, and Pied-Billed Grebes. When there's a lull in the background the occasional Western Meadowlark, Chickadee, Spotted Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Yellow Chat, Tree Swallow, Mallard, American Wigeon, and Wood Duck.

Okanogan Wetland Morning

The wolf pack you hear on the files are recorded in Sweden last summer. More specific in Bergslagen. An area with wonderful nature, forests and wilderness.

A quiet summer night, light fog over the moors in the forests you can hear this wonderful concerts. But you need to know where In Sweden, there are only around 35 wolf packs.

This pack consists of the alpha male and the female, three youngsters from last year and five puppies from this year.

On this first file, in a series, are the three youngsters from last year on their own. The distance between me and the wolf pack is around 175 yards / 160 meters. Between us is a moor with light fog. It is a wonderful nordic summer night with no wind.

This is one of my first recordings with a Telinga PRO-8 MK2 stereo parabolic dish connected to a ZOOM recorder. 
Recordings have some post production. 

The howling wolf in the picture is the alpha female of the pack.

Please contact me for more info: http://www.bentmar.com/
Copyright Mats Bentmar.
www.telinga.com

Wolf Pack Youngsters recorded by Mats Bentmar using a Telinga PRO-8 MK2 dish (stereo)

African Cloud Forest is a collection of immersive ambiences recorded in Ethiopia's montane rainforests. The library features lush dawn choruses, loud insect and frog calls, subtle nightscapes and plenty of humid forest ambience. Available at https://mindful-audio.com/african-cloud-forest/

Downloadable demo - all rights reserved. License agreement available at https://mindful-audio.com/eula

MAFX016 African Cloud Forest demo

Toucans and macaws making a racket at dawn in the Amazon rainforest. A Thrush-like Wren also makes an appearance.

More sounds and stories at https://mindful-audio.com

Amazon Rainforest - Dawn - Toucans and Macaws

Canoeing at dawn on a calm tributary in the Amazon rainforest. Longer version available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JmJyOx4YAk

Amazon Rainforest - Dawn Canoe Ride

Calm dawn chorus with insects and Gibbons in the jungles of Borneo. Soft fog drip and occasional frog and bird calls add detail to the soundscape. Listen to more recordings I made in Borneo at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCRlYmmK1sqrM_BB3xp6quofSq7fYdEPA

Borneo Rainforest - Dawn - Gibbons

Calm ambience recorded at night in the Bornean rainforest at Maliau Basin. Technical details: Sony PCM A10 and Lom mikroUsi microphones. Listen to more recordings I made in Borneo at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCRlYmmK1sqrM_BB3xp6quofSq7fYdEPA

Borneo Rainforest - Calm Night Ambience

Mindful Warm Up with Chill Age

Get Rid of Stress

Crispy morning dawn. Cuckoo and black grouse are in the beginning of their concert and at the same time Boreal owl is about to finish his nightly performance.

Crispy May Morning

last section of an overnight recording with the bird singing for 8h straight. may 2020

Thrush Nightingale (Luscinia luscinia)

Award winning sound recordist, audio director and expedition leader - Dune: Part Two | Mufasa: The Lion King | Horizon Forbidden West | Wordscapes

Amazon Rainforest - Dawn Canoe Ride

George Vlad