Soundscapes for Sonorous Desert: What Deep Listening Taught Early Christian Monks—and What It Can Teach Us

Sonorous Desert_chapter 3_soundscape

MOCKINGBIRD NIGHT SONG: A Northern Mockingbird singing at night with crickets and gray treefrogs sounding off in the background. Recorded 11:30pm 27 May 2016, near Upperville, Virginia. © Lang Elliott.

Microphone: quasi-binaural SASS (Stereo Ambient Sampling System) modified for use with Sennheiser MKH20 microphones.

THE NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD is well-known for its habit of singing at night. What most folks do not know is that the night-singers are primarily unmated males, which may sing almost continuously both day and night (especially when the moon is bright), in their quest to locate a mate.

I managed to capture the featured recording during a recent expedition, which began with a social event: my partner’s niece was graduating from high school and we went down to attend the ceremony. Given how close we were to Washington D.C., I never imagined that I would get a usable recording (too many cars and jets). But we spent the night in a ranch house surrounded by large fields, and as luck would have it, there was a resident mockingbird that sang throughout much of the night.

Resisting my urge to get some much-needed sleep (I was up until nearly 2am the night before, recording frogs), I ventured out around 11pm and walked a considerable distance to his singing tree, which was at the edge of a field. Crickets trilled gently from the grass and a chorus of Gray Treefrogs produced a drone from nearby forest, no doubt sounding off from a pond or swampy area. Not a bad catch for countryside near a major metropolis.

Although not exactly a meditative recording, I am quite pleased to document night-singing in this species, along with enough ambient sounds to add spaciousness to the recording. This particular singer is doing some imitations, but the majority of his phrases seem to be of his own device. Rather than analyze his song phrases, I’ve chosen to simply enjoy the soundscape without thinking too much about it. Mockingbird Nightsong, delivered to you on a golden platter!

What’ya think?

Mockingbird Nightsong

A SYMPHONY OF LOONS - track sample from LOON LAKE, available here: http://store.musicofnature.com/products/pure-nature/loon-lake

Recorded in early May at dusk, in Algonquin National Park, Ontario (2011).
Microphone: quasi-binaual SASS (Stereo Ambient Sampling System) modified for use with Sennheiser MKH20 microphones.

LISTEN AS LOONS call from near and far, their wails, yodels, and tremolos echoing across still waters against a backdrop of distant spring peepers. 

Shortly after dusk, numerous pairs of loons begin sounding off, communicating to each other their territo-rial boundaries. Their wails, yodels, and tremolos echo from near and far across the still waters, against a continuous backdrop of distant Spring Peepers. The wildly undulating yodel is the male loon’s territorial call. Wails that sound like the lonesome howls of wolves are used as contact calls. The tremolo calls, which signify arousal, sound like hysterical laughter and give rise to the term “crazy as a loon.” 

The evening performance of loons in early May is unforgettable – a truly symbolic soundscape of the northern lake country wilderness. In this unique “long-form” recording, we share our best loon recordings from Algonquin National Park, Ontario, gathered during the evenings of May 3 and 4 in 2011 (at times, you may also notice the cackles of Wood Frogs, the distant hoots of a Barred Owl, the quacks of a lone Black Duck, and the squeals of Ring-billed Gulls).

Additional Notes: My expedition with Bob McGuire to Algonquin National Park started out badly. We paddled to the north end of a large lake and set up camp on an island. The wind was strong and cold, with whitecaps visible not far offshore – impossible recording conditions, or so it seemed. But when the sun finally set, as if by magic, the wind lightened and then disappeared altogether, just as the loons began their evening rhapsody. The sudden calm took us completely by surprise and we literally jumped into our canoes, frantically (and rather unsuccessfully) trying to maneuver into good positions for recording. Although the wind grew brisk during each following day, we were fortunate to have two more calm evenings before we had to part. I really love the northern lake country wilderness and our journey to Algonquin Park to record loons is one I’ll treasure for the rest of my life.

Loon Lake

A Symphony of Loons

ROBIN SINGING AT DUSK: Robin & Spring Peepers sounding off at dusk. Recorded 25 May 1994, in northern Minnesota. © Ted Mack and Lang Elliott.

Microphone: quasi-binaural SASS (Stereo Ambient Sampling System) modified for use with Sennheiser MKH20 mics.

SEARCHING MY COLLECTION for unused soundscapes, I came across this jewel: a lone robin singing at dusk with spring peepers chorusing in the background. This is a zen-infused recording, a simple yet profoundly moving soundscape that is at once relaxing and sublime. It provides a true taste of northwoods magic and an inkling of things soon to come. My good friend and partner-recordist Ted Mack captured this beauty during a 6-month recording expedition the two of us undertook way back in 1994.

I only wish it lasted longer. After about five minutes of singing, the robin went mute. Then all we hear is peepers and a few other subtle bird songs in the background. During the recording, listen for the whistles of White-throated Sparrows and songs of Nashville Warbler (I think), maybe a Song Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, and Winter Wren. I hear a single faint Swainson’s Thrush song near the end. There are also occasional very faint cackles of a Wood Frog. Have I missed anything (I can use some help identifying the faint bird songs in the background).

I truly love this recording and find myself playing it over and over again. Thank you Ted for capturing and crystallizing this brief, yet supremely exalted moment in time!

Robin Singing at Dusk

Light rain with the sounds of blue jays and spring peepers. Recorded 5 September 2017 at 10 am in Shindagin Hollow near Ithaca New York.

This is a remarkably immersive binaural 3D field recording that is best appreciated by listening over headphones. The raindrops provide a wide, relaxing soundstage against which blue jays sound off with a variety of nasal sounds and jay-calls. Occasionally spring peepers give brief series' of bird-like peeps ... their "autumn piping" from trees and shrubs, often occurring quite far from their breeding pools and ponds.

In my appraisal, this lovely soundscape cradles one's spirit  and promotes a sense of calm freshness ... such a gentle soundscape that will instantly transport you into the wild (especially if you listen using headphones or earbuds).

When I make a recording such as this, I remember exactly why I do this kind of work.

For a more detailed discussion of this recording, please check out my blog post: https://musicofnature.com/light-rain-and-blue-jays/

Rain and Blue Jays

Winter Rain in Oak Forest. Recorded January 1, 2021 near Ithaca, New York. Featuring raindrops hitting surrounding snow, flattened leaves, and icy patches. © Lang Elliott, musicofnature.com

Winter Rain

Hi Friends! I am a professional nature recordist who travels to wild areas throughout North America and sometimes beyond. My current focus is to gather  immersive binaural 3D soundscapes that effortlessly transport listeners (using headphones) into nature and have a positive and healing effect on the mind, body and spirit.

Robin Singing at Dusk

Lang Elliott – Music of Nature

Related tracks