Podcast

Daytime transitions into night along the shore of Lake Suttonfield, in the Valley of the Moon. Great-horned Owls, Acorn Woodpeckers, Crickets, and others tell the story of the coming of night.

The headwaters of Sonoma Creek, in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, is a place of many moods. In the Spring it’s alive with the sound of birds and insects. But now, in the winter, it's hushed, and subdued.

Many species of bird seem to be making good use of the restored riparian habitat along the Petaluma River, in the Denman Reach open space area. 

The real power of quietude is that it can speak so deeply to our hearts. Like in this moment on the Russian River, on a rainy winter’s day.

Red-winged Blackbirds have a strong and clear voice. Their songs and calls easily carry over water and across fields. The classic Red-winged Blackbird song sounds like they're singing "conk-la-ree, conk-la-ree." 

The Northern Mockingbird is an impressive singer! This species gets its name from how they mimic the songs of other birds. The more sounds the male is able to include in his song, the more likely he is to attract a female.

I’m up here at Jack London’s old property, at the London Lake. I thought we’d lend an ear to the Winter soundscape here. The lake is nice and full. We’ve been getting a lot of rain, and it’s overcast.

And it’s got that nice magical, misty quality. So, let’s give a listen to this solstice soundscape.

By the end of his second month the male Bewick's Wren has found his own unique Voice. This will be the song he sings for his entire life!

Juvenile Great-horned Owls beg for food from adults by making raspy sounding screeches. In the Fall they’re learning to hunt, but they still beg for food from the adults. In this recording their dialog ends with what sounds like the juvenile Great-horned Owl landing in a grassy field and catching something!

Mourning Doves get their name from the sound they make. People sometimes describe it as being sad, or mournful, so that's why naturalists have named them the Mourning Dove. Their gentle cooing always seems to add something special to the soundscape!

The sound of crickets all singing together is sometimes referred to as an orchestra. Late summer and fall is the time when the cricket Orchestras here in Sonoma County start to tune up and fill the night with their music!

We’re back at the headwaters of Sonoma Creek, in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park listening to Downy Woodpecker chicks. We were last here in winter, and now it’s spring. 

In winter Elephant seals gather on Drake’s Beach, at Point Reyes National Seashore. Females give birth to pups and nurse them during this time. Elephant seal monitoring activities at Point Reyes National Seashore are authorized under National Marine Fisheries Service Permit Number 27424.

As the moon rises a Gray Fox barks. Her voice reverberates across a small field of Coyote Brush and grass. Another Gray Fox responds in the distance. Their voices carry over the chorus of crickets. Owls sing as the night settles in. The two Gray Foxes call to one another from the shadows, and listen…

Marsh Wrens are about the size of a sparrow. They’re a rusty-brown color, with black and white markings that resemble eyebrows. These were recorded at Kennedy Park, in Napa. Listen carefully and you’ll hear a quick couple of “chuck” sounds, followed by the Marsh Wren’s “rapid fire” song.