The bird song is already becoming more quiet as most birds are taking care of their nestlings this time of year. Even the Song Thrushes are quiet but they will start again in a few weeks' time when starting their second breeding period of the year. This droprig recording is from a small pond in the forest, 3 to 4AM. You will hear the forest birds waking up and Common Teal, Mallard and Green Sandpipers taking a morning sip in the pond. Högbyhatt, Uppsala. May 24, 2023.

Stillness at a forest pond

In February/March the owls are starting to call once again. Quite a lot of rodent activity on the snow so perhaps this will be a good breeding year. All owls are found in the close vicinity of Uppsala, and they are ordered from small (pygmy owl) to big (eagle owl).
Pygmy Owl - recording ends with the so-called autumn call
Tengmalm's Owl - recording ends with the autumn call
Tawny Owl - only the call, not the song
Ural Owl - starts with the male's defensive call, then both the female and male while mating, finally when male delivers food to the female and young in mid-May
Eagle Owl - male calling

Owls in Uppsala

From dusk to dawn with two pairs of cranes and one or two single male contenders. In this recording you will hear almost infrasound (80-200 Hz) growls and heavy panting as the males chase each other in the wetland and of course the trumpeting of cranes through the night. An amazing experience to be this close. Huddunge, Uppsala. April 9, 2024.

Mixpre 3ii + Lewitt 440 Pure in ortf

Cranes like you never heard them before!

This is quite a rare recording where the infrasound of the lekking male capercaillie is clearly audible. This infrasound is thought to be an indication of male quality and the two bands of 35 Hz and 55 Hz probably travel much longer in the forest than the rest of lek. When males utter their infrasounds just after the "plop" they go temporarily blind so it must be quite exhausting to produce. The males go directly under my microphone and the "crisp" sounds are from dry reindeer moss.

Skogstibble. April 21, 2023.

Mixpre 3ii + AudioTechnica BP4025

Infrasound in lekking Capercaillie

I make field recordings focusing on nature in my home county Uppland, Sweden.

Owls in Uppsala

Bo Söderström

Related tracks