Sound By Nature

Nature sounds for relaxation, stress relief, meditation, sleep, or whatever you like. Enjoy.

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20 episodes
Updated July 23

Episodes20

Newest first

July 23 · 7 hr 29 min
186: Russian Wilderness- Sugar Creek
This was recorded on a calm summer night beside Sugar Creek in the Sugar Creek Research Natural Area, which is located within the Russian Wilderness, Klamath National Forest, Siskiyou County, California. The creek flows down the east side of the Salmon Mountains, a subrange of the Klamath Mountains, in far northern California. The creek was low for this time of year, owing to a meager snowpack that had already melted entirely. The Sugar Creek Research Natural Area is a unique and special place. According to the U.S. Forest Service it was created "primarily to preserve the richest known assemblage of conifers in the world", in an area that has "essentially remained unchanged by humans since before the European colonization of California". You can learn more about it here- https://research.fs.usda.gov/psw/rnas/locations/sugar-creek
July 1 · 3 hr 1 min
185: Summer Morning in the Salmon Mountains
This was recorded on a cold, cloudy, and breezy summer morning in the Salmon Mountains near the Music Creek Trailhead in Klamath National Forest, Siskiyou County, California.
June 6 · 3 hr 6 min
184: Marble Mountains Wilderness- Frogs at Summit Meadow Lake
This was recorded on a clear spring night under a full moon beside Summit Meadow Lake in Marble Mountains Wilderness, Klamath National Forest, Siskiyou County, California. I recorded this tree ears style, in which a mic is placed on either side of the trunk of a tree, in this case a Red Fir. Though I recorded all night, this part of the recording is from the wee hours of the night when the frog chorus was starting to die down.
May 18 · 5 hr
183: Breezy Spring Morning on the Trinity Divide
This was recorded on a cold and breezy spring morning near an unnamed pond on the east side of the Trinity Divide in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Siskiyou County, California. The recording starts a little after 4 a.m., and a little before the birds began their dawn chorus.
May 1 · 7 min
Bonus! Hermit Thrush in Trail Gulch
I heard my first Hermit Thrush song of the year this week while walking my dog Molly in the forest outside the little town I live in here in Northern California, so I thought it'd be a good time to share this recording I made last summer of a Hermit Thrush singing in the forest in Trail Gulch, just north of the Trinity Alps Wilderness. You'll hear a few other birds singing, but the Hermit Thrush has the spotlight. I hope you enjoy it!!
March 21 · 10 hr 10 min
182: Early Spring Night On The North Fork Of The Salmon River
This was recorded on a peaceful night in early spring atop a rocky outcrop which jutted out into the North Fork of the Salmon River just downstream of Mule Bridge in Klamath National Forest, Siskiyou County, California. The night was clear and unseasonably warm for the time of year. The recording runs from about nine at night till about seven in the morning. Though this was recorded two weeks before the official spring equinox I feel comfortable calling it a spring night after the exceptionally mild and short winter in Northern California. Not to mention that as I lay in my tent at dawn while this was recording, I was greeted by the song of an American Robin, a sure sign of spring. I really want to thank everyone that has taken the time to rate and review the podcast, I deeply appreciate your kind words. And I'd like to thank those of you that have commented on the episodes in Spotify, I very much enjoy hearing your thoughts on the recordings. And I especially want to thank the few of you that have donated to the podcast on my, frankly, pitiful and outdated website. It really, really needs to be updated. I haven't touched in at least a couple of years, and it was built a minimum of effort to begin with. I guess I'd rather spend the little free time I have in the field making recordings, not sitting in front of a computer trying to build a website. So it goes.
February 7 · 1 hr 41 min
181: Lost Coast- Outgoing Tide On A Winter Afternoon
This was recorded on a calm and sunny winter afternoon on the beach below Smith Gulch on the Lost Coast in the King Range National Conservation Area, Humboldt County, California. The tide was going out, so I set the mic up near the water in the intertidal zone at the border between an area of rocks and tide pools and a sandy stretch of beach. The sand was very coarse, almost tiny pebbles, and it made a pleasant sound as the waves washed up and down the beach. At the start of the recording the waves lapped at the shore only a few feet from the mic, but the tide receded quickly and by the end of this recording it was nearly twenty feet away.
January 24 · 19 min
Bonus! Northern Elephant Seal Colony at Punta Gorda
This was recorded on a sunny winter afternoon on the Lost Coast by the Punta Gorda Lighthouse in Humboldt County, California. The colony was quite active on this afternoon, with many newborn pups, their mothers, and massive males making a myriad of interesting, and at times funny, sounds. Though the wind was very light for most of the day, it started to pick up as I was setting up the recording rig. I didn't bring much in the way of wind protection for the mics, so there is quite a bit of wind noise in this recording. Nevertheless, I thought it was worth sharing with you. I hope you enjoy it,
January 22 · 9 hr 9 min
180: Lost Coast- Long Winter Night at Mattole Beach
This was recorded on brisk winter night on the high tide line at Mattole Beach on the Lost Coast in Humboldt County, California. The night began overcast, but the clouds slowly gave way to the starry sky, and it was completely clear by the time the first signs of morning twilight appeared in the east. The offshore wind was light, and it carried with it a bit of extra chill as it made its way down the Mattole River, across the beach, and out over the ocean. The waves picked up a bit through the night, and by morning there was good surf for those willing to brave the cold and sharky water. This recording starts at around 10pm and ends a little after 7am, about half an hour before sunrise.
January 2 · 3 hr 3 min
179: Autumn Afternoon Beside the North Fork of the Salmon River
This was recorded on a pleasant fall day beside the North Fork of the Salmon River at the Mule Bridge Trailhead in Klamath National Forest, Siskiyou County, California.
Nov 2, 2025 · 2 hr 22 min
178: Trinity Alps Wilderness- East Boulder Creek
This was recorded on an autumn afternoon by East Boulder Creek in Trinity Alps Wilderness, Siskiyou County, California. Where I recorded this the creek flows through a steep gully, so I placed the mic at the edge of the gully above the creek, but not very far from it. It was a cold day, and at the start of the recording it was cloudy with occasional light snow flurries. But by the end, the clouds began to part and let the sun light through. The area received its first snow of the season the night before, and though it had almost entirely melted at the recording location, there was still a thin layer of snow coating the ground further up in the mountains. While this was recording I hiked up to East Boulder Lake, continued past the three small lakes above it, and up over the ridge to the intersection with the Pacific Crest Trail. It was my first time visiting this part of the Trinity Alps Wilderness, and it was a real treat to get to leave my footprints in the first snow of the season.
Jul 26, 2025 · 2 hr 12 min
177: Summer Thunderstorm in the Forest
This was recorded on a stormy summer night beside a small pond in the forest east of Black Fox Mountain in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Siskiyou County, California. I placed the microphone beside the pond in order to capture the sound of the raindrops hitting the water. I then covered the microphone and tripod with pine needles to prevent the rain from hitting them directly, which would cause unwanted sounds. I think it worked very well.
Jul 8, 2025 · 3 hr 30 min
176: Trinity Alps Wilderness- Morning Chorus in Trail Gulch
This was recorded on a clear summer morning in Trail Gulch in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, Siskiyou County, California. I set the mic up in an Alder thicket, not far from Trail Gulch Creek, near the edge of a large meadow. Much of the area burned in a large wildfire in 2021, but the trees and vegetation growing near and along the creek in the immediate area were untouched, with the help of the nearby meadow which provided a natural fire break. The recording starts at dawn, a little before the first birds began to sing, and continues into the morning. Many different birds are heard in this recording, including- American Robin, Lazuli Bunting, Swainson's Thrush, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Steller's Jay, Mountain Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, and others. There is a little more air traffic on this recording than I'd like, but I didn't think it was so bad that I couldn't share this otherwise beautiful soundscape with you. I hope you enjoy it.
Jun 11, 2025 · 11 min
Bonus! Hermit Thrush Singing Near the East Fork of the Salmon River
This was recorded on a warm and sunny late spring afternoon by the side of forest road 39N05 near the East Fork of the Salmon River in Klamath National Forest, Siskiyou County, California.
Jun 7, 2025 · 1 hr 12 min
175: Dawn Chorus in Sattitla Highlands National Monument
This was recorded on a beautiful spring morning in the forest near Six Shooter Butte in Sattitla Highlands National Monument, Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Siskiyou County, California. A gentle breeze blew steadily through the fir and pine trees above as the birds began to sing in the faint light of dawn. Listen for the songs of Yellow Rumped Warblers, Western Tanagers, Hermit Thrushes, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and others.
Jun 7, 2025 · 9 hr
174: All Night Beside the North Fork of the Salmon River
This was recorded on a cold spring night beside rapids on the swiftly flowing North Fork of the Salmon River in Klamath National Forest, Siskiyou County, California. The Salmon River is part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System and is free of dams and significant flow diversions of any sort. The river and its watershed are located entirely with the remote and rugged Klamath Mountains in far northern California. I strapped the mic to an Alder tree such that it was overhanging the water at the river's edge, which had nothing to do with the fact that I forgot to bring my tripod, I swear.
Jun 7, 2025 · 2 hr
173: Breezy Spring Afternoon in the Forest
This was recorded on a breezy spring afternoon in the forest beside the Pacific Crest Trail in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Shasta County, California. Listen for the footsteps of a passing hiker, that thankfully didn't disturb my conspicuously placed microphone, early in the recording.
Jun 7, 2025 · 6 hr 31 min
172: Spring Night at Dry Lake
This was recorded on a clear spring night beside Dry Lake in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Siskiyou County, California. The recording starts just before midnight and ends just before sunrise.
Apr 24, 2025 · 3 hr 26 min
171: Spring Day Beside the North Fork of the Salmon River
This was recorded on a clear and sunny spring day beside the North Fork of the Salmon River near Idlewild Campground in Klamath National Forest, Siskiyou County, California. The river was flowing swift and high with abundant snowmelt originating in the Marble Mountains, a sub-range of the Klamath Mountains. On occasion, Steller's Jay's call raucously nearby from the bare branches of the White Alder growing along the river's edge. This river is part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System and lies entirely within the Klamath Mountains in far northern California. According to Wikipedia- "Unlike most other large California rivers, the Salmon is completely free flowing, with no dams or significant flow diversions of any kind. It is one of the most pristine areas in the Klamath River system and one of California's most pristine rivers."
Mar 30, 2025 · 1 hr 29 min
170: Lost Coast- Spring Evening At Mattole Beach
This was recorded on a cloudy spring evening during low tide at Mattole Beach on the Lost Coast in Humboldt County, California. There was a light offshore wind and the ocean surface was glassy, a rare treat at a place that is commonly quite windy.

Sound By Nature

186: Russian Wilderness- Sugar Creek

185: Summer Morning in the Salmon Mountains

184: Marble Mountains Wilderness- Frogs at Summit Meadow Lake

183: Breezy Spring Morning on the Trinity Divide

Bonus! Hermit Thrush in Trail Gulch

182: Early Spring Night On The North Fork Of The Salmon River

181: Lost Coast- Outgoing Tide On A Winter Afternoon

Bonus! Northern Elephant Seal Colony at Punta Gorda

180: Lost Coast- Long Winter Night at Mattole Beach

179: Autumn Afternoon Beside the North Fork of the Salmon River

178: Trinity Alps Wilderness- East Boulder Creek

177: Summer Thunderstorm in the Forest

176: Trinity Alps Wilderness- Morning Chorus in Trail Gulch

Bonus! Hermit Thrush Singing Near the East Fork of the Salmon River

175: Dawn Chorus in Sattitla Highlands National Monument

174: All Night Beside the North Fork of the Salmon River

173: Breezy Spring Afternoon in the Forest

172: Spring Night at Dry Lake

171: Spring Day Beside the North Fork of the Salmon River

170: Lost Coast- Spring Evening At Mattole Beach