Ear to the Wild Jack Hines

Springtime at London Lake, in Jack London State Historic Park, is alive with the sound of many species of birds and insects. Springtime at London Lake, in Jack London State Historic Park, is alive with the sound of many species of birds and insects. Winter brought a good amount of rain, and London Lake is full. Grasses are growing, flowers are blooming, and the trees are sprouting new leaves. The habitat in and around London Lake is buzzing with the sound of insects. And of course, with the insects come the birds who feed on them. The Red-winged Blackbird, Song Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Wilson's Warbler, and many others come together to create this soundscape. This is the sound of springtime at London Lake! Springtime at London Lake. Thanks for lending an ear to the wild. I’m Jack Hines. For more information please visit ear to the wild.com

The Varied Thrush's song has been described as haunting, ethereal, and mysterious. Listen, and you might just hear the spirit of the old growth forests they call home, reverberating in the song of the Varied Thrush! The Varied Thrush's song has been described as haunting, ethereal, and mysterious. They're a fairly elusive bird, so they're more likely to be heard and not seen. Varied Thrushes migrate south in the winter, from the forests of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. The San Francisco Bay Area is near the southern extent of their range. Varied Thrushes numbers have decreased in the last 40 years because of habitat loss in the old growth forests where they breed in the summer. Listen, and you might just hear the spirit of those old forests in the song of the Varied Thrush. The Varied Thrush! Thanks for lending an ear to the wild. I’m Jack Hines. For more information please visit ear to the wild.com (Photo: Mike's Birds from Riverside, CA, US, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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! The Bewick’s Wren is a very common bird in the West, and here in the North Bay. They mostly eat insects and spiders! The Bewick's Wren used to be common back East as well, but are now almost completely gone from there because of competition with the House Wren. About a month after hatching, the male Bewick's Wren starts to learn to sing. He develops slight variations from the adult males that he hears around him. 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! A Bewick's Wren at Bothe-Napa Valley State Park! Thanks for lending an ear to the wild I’m Jack Hines. For more information please visit ear to the wild.com (Photo: Becky Matsubara from El Sobrante, California, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Red-breasted Nuthatches can be found in parts of Sonoma County. You can sometimes hear them in Annadel State Park. The next time you visit your favorite stand of conifer trees, keep an ear out for the Red-breasted Nuthatch! If you've spent time in the Sierra Nevada during summer, you've probably heard the Red-breasted Nuthatch! They like conifer trees, and of course there are lot’s of those in the mountains. But Red-breasted Nuthatches can also be found in parts of Sonoma County. Annadel State Park has plenty of conifer trees, and you can sometimes hear them there. Like in this recording from March of 2008. By the way, they’re a little smaller than their white-breasted cousins. They also have more of a nasal quality to their voice. So, next time you visit your favorite stand of conifer trees, keep an ear out for the Red-breasted Nuthatch! The Red-breasted Nuthatch in Sonoma County! Thanks for lending an Ear to the Wild! I'm Jack Hines! For more information please visit EartotheWild.com. (Photo: Mick Thompson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Deep down in their DNA Black-tailed Deer are wired to be on alert for predators. When a mountain lion or say, a bobcat is nearby, Black-tailed Deer will sound an alarm. Black-tailed Deer are the only species of deer found in Sonoma County. They're commonly seen in many open spaces, parks, and suburban neighborhoods. Deep down in their DNA Black-tailed Deer are wired to be on alert for predators. When a mountain lion or say, a bobcat is nearby, Black-tailed Deer will sound an alarm. In this recording you can hear an urgency in the sounds the deer makes, and in the way it stamps the ground as it bounds away. Whatever it was that might’ve been lurking in the dark that night, it sure sounds like for this Black-tailed Deer, it was something serious! A Black-tailed Deer making alarm sounds. Thanks for lending an Ear to the Wild. I'm Jack Hines! For more information please visit EartotheWild.com.

They're small, and hard to see at night. But when you hear that bouncing ball rhythm coming from the forest, you'll know it's a Western Screech-Owl! (Photo: Randy R. Magnuson, CC BY-SA 3.0) The Western Screech-Owl's song sounds a little bit like a bouncing ball. They make other sounds too. Like this contact call they use to keep track of one another in the dark.... In spite of their name Western Screech-Owls don't even really screech! They used to be considered the same species as the Eastern Screech-Owl. At some point biologists noticed that the Western Screech-Owls made different sounds, and that led to them being designated as a separate species. They're small, and hard to see at night. But when you hear that bouncing ball rhythm coming from the forest, you'll know it's a Western Screech-Owl! The Western Screech-Owl! Thanks for lending an Ear to the Wild. I'm Jack Hines! For more information please visit EartotheWild.com. Season 2: Episode 8 Aired: week of February 25, 2024 (Photo: Randy R. Magnuson, CC BY-SA 3.0)