In late June, I visit Olympic National Park and camp near Ozette Lake in the Olympic Peninsula. At the break of dawn, I amble along a trail leading to the Pacific Ocean and encounter an exciting constellation of sounds.
Against a backdrop of subtle gurgles from a small stream and the gentle whoosh of a light breeze, two varied thrushes sing loudly from tall hemlocks while others sound off in the distance. Their vibrant, buzzy notes electrify the air. From the understory, a Swainson’s thrush sings prominently, its melodic flute-like notes sliding upward in pitch. A pileated woodpecker drums occasionally far in the distance. A band-tailed pigeon also chimes in, its hollow low-pitched coo-coo, coo-coo adding a pleasing musical element to the low end. And then, to top things off, a Pacific winter wren suddenly bursts forth with its high-pitched, liquid ramble exhilarating the mix.\
I rest against the trunk of a towering tree and take in this exquisite blend of sounds—a veritable audio fingerprint of the ancient old growth forests of the Pacific Northwest.
Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör
Lang Elliott. Innehållet i podden är skapat av Lang Elliott och inte av,
eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.
