The Zumwalt Prairie in Northeastern Oregon is the largest remaining fragment of an area known as the Palouse Grasslands. This Northeast Oregon Patch covers several hundred thousand acres and is home to a large suite of plants and animals. In June, the prairie was alive with flowers, birds singing, and lots of wildlife. This is a collection of sound recordings made on the Nature Conservancy Preserve.

A Coyote Chorus

Western Meadowlark & Yellow Warbler

Zumwalt Dawn - Main Gate

Coyotes howl during the Night

At 4:15 AM, Wilson's Snipe was up winnowing. It must have been circling overhead. A Willow Flycatcher and a Song Sparrow were also calling along Camp Creek on the Zumwalt Prairie

Winnowing Snipe with Willow Flycatcher & Song Sparrow

The Barred Owl began to sing at 3 AM along Stossel Creek in the Pacific Northwest. An owlet was screeching up on the hill, begging to be fed but this adult probably wanted the young to fly down near the marsh where Pacific Cricket Frogs and Bullfrogs were abundant.  The bird called for 5 minutes before going silent.

Barred Owl

This fight between unknown animals happened in the middle of the night at a remote pond in western Washington.  at 5:30 AM on April 22. The fight begins about 2 minutes into the recording after some splashes are heard

Fight At Stossel Pond Over Hill

The Pacific Chorus Frogs were calling before dawn and were quickly joined by a number of birds as the forest lightened Coniferous forests surrounded this site in Western Washington.

Dawn Chorus along Stossel Creek May 2022

A Veery sang its wonderful waterfall tune while a number of other birds performed during the dawn chorus. Sinlahekin Valley in North Central Washington. The habitat was a wet riparian forest with aspens, alders, and cottonwoods.

Veery - Sinlahekin Valley Washington.WAV

A pair of Common Loons call back and forth on Lost Lake in the Okanogan Highlands of Washington.

The wail and Tremolo of a Common Loon

Coyotes were singing along Braid Springs Road in the SageBrush Habitat of central Washington. The chorus started a little before 5 PM and went for almost 10 minutes. Unfortunately, a car went by, and a plane flew over.

Coyotes Singing

Common Nighthawks, Sage Thrashers, Brewer's Sparrows, and Western Meadowlarks sing in the Sagebrush flats along Double O Road in Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. And, of course, there are cows. Recorded on June 3, 2023.

Dawn Chorus - Sagebrush Habitat on Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

Dawn Chorus At Benson Pond - Malheur NWR

Sage Thrasher - Western Meadowlark - Quail - Pheasant - Raven

A male White-crowned Sparrow singing on top of a cedar in Washington Park, Anacortes, Washington

150408 0164 - White - Crowned Sparrow

A Song Sparrow sat just above head height in a tree, singing at first light.

Magneson Park

Song Sparrow

Three Great Gray Owlets sat on branches in a montane forest in the Okanogan Highlands and one was begging constantly for its parents to come feed it.

Okanogan Highlands

Great Gray Owl Begging Call

The Resplendent Quetzals began to display right over our heads. The male, with his long flowing tail, flew back and forth while he called. The female hopped from branch to branch watching him. Then they flew up the hill out of sight. The forest was still alive with nature.

Mt. Totumas Cloud Forest

Quetzal Display

An American Bittern gives its eerie call: “pump-er-lunk,” then another “pump-er-lunk” and finally, a “dunk-a-doo.” A male American Bittern was trying to woo a female

American Bittern with Robin in background

The sky was overcast and the day had only just begun, and it would be a while before the sun even tried to rise. Birds were in full chorus, and several Swainson's Thrushes dominated the soundscape. Then a Lincon's Sparrow and a Willow Flycatcher chimed in too.

Swainson's Thrush & Lincoln's Sparrow

At 4:00 AM, the swamp began to wake even though it would be an hour before sun even though of rising. Flycatchers, thrushes, sparrows, and kinglets began their dawn songs and red squirrels occasionally chattered.

Dawn Chorus - Long Swamp

At 4:20 AM, Long Swamp had not reached Civil Twight and the Blue Hour, yet the swamp had come alive. Hermit Thrushes were singing in the forests up the hill, and Willow and Olive-sided Flycatchers soon joined in the chorus.  Swainson's Thrushes, Lincoln's Sparrows, and Cassin's Finches gradually woke and declared their joy for a new day in the Okanogan area of Washington. Red Squirrels screeched, Wilson's Snipe winnowed, and others called.  This was spectacular, and I forgot about the mosquitos buzzing around me.

Sounds from the Wild Country

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