Sound By Nature

This was recorded on brisk winter night on the high tide line at Mattole Beach on the Lost Coast in Humboldt County, California.

The night began overcast, but the clouds slowly gave way to the starry sky, and it was completely clear by the time the first signs of morning twilight appeared in the east. The offshore wind was light, and it carried with it a bit of extra chill as it made its way down the Mattole River, across the beach, and out over the ocean. The waves picked up a bit through the night, and by morning there was good surf for those willing to brave the cold and sharky water.

This recording starts at around 10pm and ends a little after 7am, about half an hour before sunrise.

This was recorded on a pleasant fall day beside the North Fork of the Salmon River at the Mule Bridge Trailhead in Klamath National Forest, Siskiyou County, California.

This was recorded on an autumn afternoon by East Boulder Creek in Trinity Alps Wilderness, Siskiyou County, California. Where I recorded this the creek flows through a steep gully, so I placed the mic at the edge of the gully above the creek, but not very far from it. It was a cold day, and at the start of the recording it was cloudy with occasional light snow flurries. But by the end, the clouds began to part and let the sun light through.

The area received its first snow of the season the night before, and though it had almost entirely melted at the recording location, there was still a thin layer of snow coating the ground further up in the mountains. While this was recording I hiked up to East Boulder Lake, continued past the three small lakes above it, and up over the ridge to the intersection with the Pacific Crest Trail. It was my first time visiting this part of the Trinity Alps Wilderness, and it was a real treat to get to leave my footprints in the first snow of the season.

This was recorded on a stormy summer night beside a small pond in the forest east of Black Fox Mountain in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Siskiyou County, California.

I placed the microphone beside the pond in order to capture the sound of the raindrops hitting the water. I then covered the microphone and tripod with pine needles to prevent the rain from hitting them directly, which would cause unwanted sounds. I think it worked very well.

This was recorded on a clear summer morning in Trail Gulch in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, Siskiyou County, California.

I set the mic up in an Alder thicket, not far from Trail Gulch Creek, near the edge of a large meadow. Much of the area burned in a large wildfire in 2021, but the trees and vegetation growing near and along the creek in the immediate area were untouched, with the help of the nearby meadow which provided a natural fire break.

The recording starts at dawn, a little before the first birds began to sing, and continues into the morning. Many different birds are heard in this recording, including- American Robin, Lazuli Bunting, Swainson's Thrush, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Steller's Jay, Mountain Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, and others.

There is a little more air traffic on this recording than I'd like, but I didn't think it was so bad that I couldn't share this otherwise beautiful soundscape with you. I hope you enjoy it.