Wood Thrush Return

Somewhere in the treetops, our singer scattered his flute-notes with a rhythmic cadence that was relaxing and hypnotic in effect.

Yesterday I rose early to hear the fluting of a Wood Thrush, but didn’t hear a peep. This morning, as if by magic, the songs of thrushes rained down upon the forest floor, glittering like stardust sprinkled upon the greening landscape. How enchanting and reassuring … the Wood Thrushes have once again returned!

Arriving in the twilight, my friend Beth Bannister and I heard a Wood Thrush singing on the far side of the hollow, too distant for a nice recording. So we moved farther down the road and found another, but he flew up a steep hill and over the ridge, his songs scarcely audible in the distance. Finally, we found a male singing on a forested slope above a gurgling brook. He stayed put and allowed us to get a wonderfully soothing soundscape, featured here and added to the Sound Sanctuary.

First Wood Thrush recording of the season. 6:15am, 3 May 2016. Shindagin Hollow near Brooktondale, New York. © Lang Elliott. Please adjust volume for a gentle and soothing listening experience.

The air smelled of wild leeks, which carpeted the forest floor. Brilliant green patches of false hellebore were scattered here and there. I lay on the ground with my head among the leaves and peered at the canopy above. Somewhere in the treetops, our singer scattered his flute-notes with a rhythmic cadence that was relaxing and hypnotic in effect.

How glorious it was to lie there among the sprouting herbs, with signs of spring all around. A moment to be deeply treasured, an elixir for the coming day.

Lang Elliott, a nature author, speaker, cinematographer, sound recordist, photographer, and poet. Learn more about Lang and browse his premium pure nature recordings at Music of Nature. For more soundscapes visit our new Sound Sanctuary.