Words Cannot Describe

Written by on March 1, 2011 · 39 Comments

photo of Hermit Thrush by Lang ElliottWords cannot adequately describe the following recording—to even try to put words to it would mute its brilliance, dampen its magic. I only ask that you relax into this soundscape, that you sink your being into this unbelievable mix of sounds.

Rest assured there are no tricks here, no layering of recordings. This sound-event really did happen, just as you hear it, in dawn’s early light, at the edge of a northern bog:

A choir of Hermit Thrushes, with Coyotes and lone Barred Owl. 5:30am, 25 June 2000, in the Adirondacks, not far from Tupper Lake, NY. Recording © Lang Elliott.0:00 / 0:00

photo of Lang ElliottMaybe you’re different from me. Maybe you’re unaffected. This recording takes my breath away. I can scarcely believe I made it. I can scarcely believe I just found it (yet another jewel I had overlooked!).

Listen for: A veritable choir of Hermit Thrushes, Coyotes, a Barred Owl, subtle Green Frogs and Bullfrogs, a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Lincoln’s Sparrow (I think), one White-throated Sparrow (toward end), plus a few other soundmakers (tell me what else you hear!).

Greenly Thrush

Written by on February 3, 2011 · 8 Comments

photo of cover of "Field Book of Wild Birds and their Music" and photo of John GreenlyFor those who can read music, the Field Book of Wild Birds and their Music by composer and naturalist F. Schuyler Mathews is a real treat (the book was first published in 1904). Mathews worked very hard at converting the songs of our native birds into musical nomenclature, with varying degrees of success. One species with songs that translated pretty well is the Hermit Thrush. Mathews deciphered dozens of different song patterns, comparing certain ones to themes in classical music (such as the wild movement that opens the finale in Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata).

My friend John Greenly, a Cornell physicist, musician, and birdwatcher, took on the task of playing some of Mathews' transcriptions on his clarinet, with piano accompaniment by Bill Cowdery. I recorded their effort and then mixed it with a background of Hermit Thrush songs and a babbling brook (I love those babbling brooks!). The result is quite interesting. It is straightforward musically, but powerful in its naked simplicity—a relaxed and heartfelt tribute to one of our most beautiful avian songsters.

Clarinet interpretations of Hermit Thrush music as transcribed by F. Schuyler Mathews. John Greenly on clarinet and Bill Cowdery on piano. Nature sounds and final mix by Lang Elliott.0:00 / 0:00

Pretty sweet, huh?

Hermit Thrush

Written by on June 29, 2010 · 7 Comments

Hermit Thrushes have one of the most amazing songs of all North American birds. How they are able to produce such flute-like notes is a true wonder of nature. Hermit Thrushes are one of the first returning breeders to Maine in the spring. I always welcome the first one I hear while laying in bed well before dawn. This birds territory is on a small mountain behind my house in western Maine. Last week (June 20th, 2010) he was gracious enough to sing from an old pile of logs (and nearby shrubs) from a cutting operation.

placeholder image for the Hermit Thrush video clip

> HD version.

Hermit Thrushes have a beautiful song that starts with a thin whistle, followed by a flutey jumble of notes. Their most common call is a sharp churt!. They also give a nasal waay call, often heard just before dark after they have finished singing (see below). Hermit Thrushes prefer northern forest of the US and Canada for breeding. They are also found in the Western mountains.

Churt and Waaay calls of a Hermit Thrush:

Churt and Waay calls of a Hermit Thrush. 8 am, June 10, 2009, Summerhill State Forest in Cayuga County, New York. Recorded by Lang Elliott.0:00 / 0:00

A beautiful song sequence of a Hermit Thrush:

Hermit Thrush songs, 5/29/04, 6:45am, Shindagin Hollow, near Ithaca, New York. Recorded by Lang Elliott.0:00 / 0:00

Range map for the Hermit Thrushclick for large map with color codes