Laura Erickson's For the Birds

Monday, August 29, 2011

Northwoods Dawn Chorus

Northern Parula
Now that it's the end of August, I'm really missing the dawn chorus. When I need to focus on writing, and playing human-generated music grows distracting, I just play bird songs I recorded in years past. Of course, sometimes a bird song will distract me, but overall after I'd heard it often enough, a recording starts working as an ideal background. It brings me to a happy time and place while allowing me to concentrate on my work.

I made this recording, lasting 1 hour and 13 minutes, at dawn on May 24, 2009, when I was staying in Natural Lakes, near Presque Isle, Wisconsin. I'd set my omni-directional microphone on the deck and gone back in--until the screen door opens at the end when I stop the recording, the only mechanical sounds heard are an occasional bird hopping too close to the mic, though if you have your bass too high, the hummingbirds may sound like motor boats. I hear at least 31 species (thanks, jmj!). Let me know if you can add to the list.

You should be able to download the mp3 file to listen to whenever you like, though the file is almost 68 megabytes, so may take a while to download. Let me know if you have problems.

Trumpeter Swan
Common Loon
American Bittern
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Least Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
American Robin
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch