Ever heard a muskrat squeal? Well, I had no idea they made much sound until I heard this one-of-a-kind recording by Ted Mack. Ted captured the soundings of what is perhaps a courting pair, swimming around in a marsh in Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge in western Nebraska. Read more »
Gentle Wills
Numerous Whip-poor-wills sing from forest surrounding a marsh in Land Between the Lakes Kentucky. Listen also for the calls of Spring Peepers and the chirps of Spring Field Crickets. Recorded by Lang Elliott. Read more »
Night Squeals
It is almost midnight along a river in central Florida. An immature Barred Owl periodically gives begging calls as the adults hoot back-and-forth. At one point, the youngster gives several very excited calls, making me think it's being fed ... Read more »
Twilight Twittering
In contrast to its daytime song, the Field Sparrow's lovely dawn song is more complex—a series of chips followed by a variable collection of slurred notes and trills. Sometimes, the dawn song differs so much from daytime song that a first-time listener has no idea that a Field Sparrow is responsible. Here are three examples: Read more »
Peents and Booms
Enjoy the nasal peents and booms of a Common Nighthawk as it circles overhead while Green Frogs and Spring Peepers sound off in the background. Recorded in the Adirondack Mountain region by Ted Mack. Read more »
Hoots and Snorts
It is almost midnight at Delta Marsh along the south shore of Lake Manitoba. A Great Horned Owl hoots from several hundred feet away and a White-tailed Deer suddenly snorts and bounds away into the woods. Then the owl flies in close, landing on a limb directly overhead. Read more »
Wings Over The Prairie
In spring, huge numbers of waterfowl migrate northward through the prairie states, taking refuge in the countless lakes and pothole ponds found from Kansas north into Manitoba. This incredible recording by Ted Mack features Common Goldeneye, Green-winged Teal, and Northern Shovelers swooshing over the microphone, with some landing in the water not far away. Read more »
Wapiti Wailings
During the fall the elk are in rut. Males wail night and day trying to attack a harem and defend same from other males. Watching one of these beasts bugling instills in the viewer the shear power required to create such a wonderful sound that can be heard for miles. Read more »
Breezy Wheezy Singer
Of all the thrushes, the Bicknell's has the breeziest and wheeziest song of all. An inhabitant of high altitude spruce forests in the mountains of the Northeast, this species is difficult to record. In June of 2000, I got lucky on Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. Enjoy this soundscape featuring the songs and calls of a Bicknell's Thrush, with a Blackpoll warbler and Winter Wren singing in the background. Read more »
Thousand Dollar Croaks
I drove over 2000 miles to snag a recording of the gagging snores of this remarkable amphibian—the timid and elusive Crawfish Frog, named for its habit of taking refuge in crawdad burrows. Read more »
The Chipping Munk
Are you familiar with the three major calls made by Eastern Chipmunks? If not, here are good recordings of each. Read more »
