Ear to the Wild: A Northern Mockingbird Singing His Heart Out

Ear to the Wild: The Sound of the Surf at Drakes Beach

S3 05 Surf at Drakes Beach [https://norcalpublicmedia.org/images/00_Shorts/Ear_to_the_Wild/S3-05_Surf_at_Drakes_Beach.jpg] With the busy-ness of one’s day to day life it’s easy to forget how the rhythms of nature can sooth us. It’s good to take a minute to tune into this place, and to all the other creatures who live here at Drakes Beach, in Point Reyes National Seashore.  S3 05 Surf at Drakes Beach [https://norcalpublicmedia.org/images/00_Shorts/Ear_to_the_Wild/S3-05_Surf_at_Drakes_Beach.jpg] Here we are at Drakes Beach, in Point Reyes National Seashore. If you listen carefully, you can hear the surf washing over the rocks, into small pools, and back out again. With the busy-ness of one’s day to day life it’s easy to forget how the rhythms of nature can sooth us. It’s good to take a minute to tune into this place, and to all the other creatures who live here. The sound of the surf of Drakes Beach reminds us to stop, breathe, be silent, and listen. It helps us to stay in touch with who we really are. The sound of the surf at Drakes Beach. Thanks for lending an Ear to the Wild. I’m Jack Hines. For more information, please visit eartothewild.com (The audio for this episode was recorded during a field survey of Elephant seals. Elephant seal monitoring activities at Point Reyes National Seashore are authorized under National Marine Fisheries Service Permit Number 27424).

Ear to the Wild: The Belted Kingfisher - Gustav’s “Mechanical Bird"

Belted Kingfisher 24120918989 [https://norcalpublicmedia.org/images/00_Shorts/00_POSTCARDS/Belted_Kingfisher_24120918989.jpg]In memory of Gustav Hobel. My friend Gustav and I used to live next door to one another on Sonoma Creek. The Belted Kingfishers would fly by, calling, with that ratchety kind of sound that they have in their voice. That’s why he’d call them the “mechanical bird.” Belted Kingfisher 24120918989 [https://norcalpublicmedia.org/images/00_Shorts/00_POSTCARDS/Belted_Kingfisher_24120918989.jpg] I’m recording at Tomales Bay, on the kayak… between Heart’s Desire Beach and Shallow Beach. And now, dead ahead, I’m seeing a Belted Kingfisher. My friend Gustav calls the Belted Kingfisher the “mechanical bird.” We used to live next door to one another on Sonoma Creek and the Kingfishers would fly by, calling, with that ratchety kind of sound that they have in their voice. And that’s why he called it the “mechanical bird.”   The Belted Kingfisher… Gustav’s “mechanical bird.” Thanks for lending an Ear to the Wild. I’m Jack Hines. For more information, please visit eartothewild.com [https://norcalpublicmedia.org/eartothewild.com].

Ear to the Wild: A Northern Mockingbird Singing His Heart Out

979px Northern Mockingbird3 [https://norcalpublicmedia.org/images/00_Shorts/Ear_to_the_Wild/979px-Northern_Mockingbird3.jpg] 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. 979px Northern Mockingbird3 [https://norcalpublicmedia.org/images/00_Shorts/Ear_to_the_Wild/979px-Northern_Mockingbird3.jpg] The Northern Mockingbird is an impressive singer! They’re common throughout the US. And also parts of Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean Islands. Northern Mockingbirds get their name because of how they mimic the songs of other birds. In fact, they’ve also been known to mimic the sounds of cell phones, car alarms, or whatever else catches their ear! The male Northern Mockingbird does this to impress females. The more sounds he’s able to include in his song, the more likely he is to win her attention. You may have noticed a Northern Mockingbird singing in the background as I’ve been talking. Have a  listen to what he’s got to say…   A Northern Mockingbird singing his heart out. Thanks for lending an Ear to the Wild. I’m Jack Hines. For more information, please visit eartothewild.com

Ear to the Wild: Adult Female Elephant Seal Sounds

S3 03 Adult Female Elephant Seal Sounds [https://norcalpublicmedia.org/images/00_Shorts/Ear_to_the_Wild/S3-03_Adult_Female_Elephant_Seal_Sounds.jpg] Adult female elephant seals make a number of different sounds. Marine Ecologist Sarah Codde says, “So, you can hear that softer sound she makes is to her pup… And then you can hear that different sound when she’s angry… It’s much deeper and has that, kind of, aggressive sound.” S3 03 Adult Female Elephant Seal Sounds [https://norcalpublicmedia.org/images/00_Shorts/Ear_to_the_Wild/S3-03_Adult_Female_Elephant_Seal_Sounds.jpg] Adult female elephant seals make a number of different sounds. Here’s Marine Ecologist Sarah Codde. “So, you can hear that softer sound she makes is to her pup… And then you can hear kind of that different sound when she’s angry… It’s much like, deeper and, you know, has that kind of aggressive sound. Where this is, we call, warbling, and it’s just this kind of nice soft call to get her pup’s attention.” “Ha, ha, ha… ahh, those pups! I wonder what they’re saying?" asks Hines. “Right…” said Codde. “Uh, ‘I’m hungry’ I guess,” she adds. “I think so!" replied Hines. Adult female elephant seals at Drake’s Beach, with Sarah Codde. Thanks for lending an Ear to the Wild. I’m Jack Hines. For more information, please visit eartothewild.com Elephant seal monitoring activities at Point Reyes National Seashore are authorized under National Marine Fisheries Service Permit Number 27424.

Ear to the Wild: Musical Geophony at Sugarloaf

S3 02 Musical Geophony at Sugarloaf [https://norcalpublicmedia.org/images/00_Shorts/Ear_to_the_Wild/S3-02_Musical_Geophony_at_Sugarloaf.jpg] In soundscape ecology we think of three different categories of sound. One of those, and really the first, is geophony. It can be quite musical, and here’s a good example of it. The creek’s flowing quite well, and there’s this great low frequency plunging sound of the water. So, let’s just give a listen to the musicality of this geophony! S3 02 Musical Geophony at Sugarloaf [https://norcalpublicmedia.org/images/00_Shorts/Ear_to_the_Wild/S3-02_Musical_Geophony_at_Sugarloaf.jpg] In soundscape ecology we think of basically, three different categories of sound. One of those, and really the first, is geophony. It can be, really, quite musical, and here’s a good example of it. This is Sonoma Creek, in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. And we’ve gotten a lot of rain; it’s mid-February, 2025. And, so the creek’s flowing quite well, and there’s this great low frequency plunging sound of the water. And then there’s the higher frequency stuff. So, let’s just give a listen to the musicality of this geophony at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park.   Geophony, at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. Thanks for lending an Ear to the Wild. I’m Jack Hines. For more information please visit eartothewild.com