Our 15 Favorite Bird Audio Recordings From 2018

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Check out our favorite recordings from 2019 here.

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Have you ever gone birding with someone who can identify just about every bird sound in the field? We certainly have! Our first ever Madrone Audubon Society walk with exceptional ear-birder Gordon Beebe was an inspiring and formative birding experience. Not only did Gordon’s abilities seem like magic, but knowing who to look for helped us see more birds – and who doesn’t want to see more birds?!
 
This past year we got serious about learning the common bird vocalizations in our area. We made a pact to say aloud every vocalization we heard throughout the day. Whether mid-breakfast, on a dogwalk, or driving with the windows down – we’d suddenly exclaim, “Chickadee! Scrubber! Willy Warbs!!!”
 
At times, our curiosity about an unfamiliar bird sound has had comedic results. One morning we spent several minutes staring intently into the bramble below our neighbor’s deck, tormented by an unfamiliar chip note – TICK! TICK! Fixated, we desperately scanned for movement before finally noticing our neighbor leaned over the railing, clipping his nails – CLIP! CLIP! He waved and we sheepishly explained why we were staring into his yard with binoculars. Ahh, birders – the slightly-creepy neighbors since the dawn of birding.
 
Halfway through the year, we tried our hand at recording bird sounds – first on our phones, then upgrading to an Olympus LS-10 hand-held portable recording device. Making audio recordings and studying them at home has greatly sped up our learning process.
 
Here are 15 of our favorite recordings taken throughout 2018. For us, each fondly evokes that very moment in time where we stood silently, listening to that particular bird tell us about its day. (Note: Photos not necessarily of particular birds from recordings.)
 
1. Osprey, Guerneville, California.

All summer, we kept an eye on an active Osprey nest above the Russian River. When the brood fledged, we were treated to “flight school” where both adults and youngsters soared over our neighborhood, calling loudly. This recording was made from our deck as two circled the redwoods directly above us.

2. Wilson’s Warbler, Guerneville, California.

Willy Warb’s song was the first warbler song we learned due to its simple, distinct, and pleasant nature. Luckily, we get to hear him in our neighborhood daily during breeding season. This recording is of two Willies singing simultaneously while one followed the other through bramble. We’re unsure if this was a territorial dispute or simply two younger birds practicing their craft.

3. California Towhee, Guerneville, California. 

California Towhees mate for life. Bachelors sing this song when they’re trying to attract a mate. One spring evening, we watched this bird sing from a wire for several minutes. We assume he was eventually successful at impressing a lady because now we have two Cal Towhees living out front!

4. Ferruginous Hawk, Jenner, California.

Sometimes cool recordings are just happy accidents. While recording a pair of Rock Wrens at the Jenner Headlands during a HawkWatch, this Ferruginous Hawk banked overhead and let out this short scream which is not often heard outside of breeding season. Hearing this call at all, let alone getting a lucky recording, made for quite a memorable moment.

5. Pygmy Nuthatch, Guerneville, California.

This sound vexed us for months! No matter how long we stared into the treetops, we couldn’t find the culprit! Finally, while doing an eBird sound quiz we heard a matching vocalization – the mystery was solved! Putting a face to this disembodied voice made us feel like we made a new friend in the neighborhood.

6. Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Guerneville, California.

This past summer, a pair of Northern Rough-winged Swallows nested in our dryer vent much to our delight. This recording is of the male perched on our deck while the female was inside, actively building their nest. One week later, the first egg appeared.

7. Pacific Wren, Guerneville, California.

The Pacific Wren’s song shines for its sheer gusto. This tiny, but tough-as-nails bird belts out a song that seems to last forever and can be heard over a long distance. As one of our favorite bird songs, it’s impossible for us to hear it and not smile.

8. California Thrasher, Forestville, California.

Stumbling across an unexpected bird is always a treat. While birding West County Trail, we heard a vaguely Mockingbird-like song. Not sounding quite right, we endeavored to locate the songster. Surprisingly, we encountered this California Thrasher perched prominently above the trail.

9. Fox Sparrow, Forestville, California.

Of the birds who overwinter in the county, we generally only get to hear call notes. However, this Fox Sparrow in mid-October must have recently arrived in town and was still singing. It took a few minutes to figure out who was singing this sweet song.

10. Western Tanager, Guerneville, California.

Knowing our neighborhood bird calls makes unfamiliar ones stick out like a sore thumb. While walking along our forest fireroad, this Western Tanager immediately caught our attention when it called from a tanoak tree. This was the only time we’ve seen this beautiful bird in our patch, and we may have easily missed it had we not known the local calls so well.

11. Warbling Vireo, Guerneville, California.

Birds seem to be on highest alert near their occupied nests, and in summer this energy is palpable. We watched this Warbling Vireo aggressively scold an encroaching California Scrub-Jay for several minutes. Its mate joined in, and together they successfully ran this would-be nest-robber off. High drama in the redwoods!

12. Red-breasted Sapsucker, Guerneville, California.

This was a classic “I’m birding right now” moment. We walked out of Safeway and birds were active all about, so with bags in hand we wandered the parking lot to see who was around. Most surprising was this pair of Red-breasted Sapsuckers foraging in an ornamental Strawberry Tree! They vocalized and we managed to capture this recording.

13. Cooper’s Hawk, Bodega Bay, California.

Sometimes a bird’s alarm call is a clue that a larger predator is nearby. This Cooper’s Hawk alarming from the bushes piqued our interest. We carefully scanned the foliage and finally noticed a Great Horned Owl sitting stock still, completely unfazed by the Cooper’s Hawk’s loud KUK-KUK-KUK-s.   

14. Marsh Wren, Jenner, California.

Birding by kayak offers a whole other dimension of the bird world. Quietly floating on the Russian River is one of our favorite ways to spend a summer day. We always get a kick out of the Marsh Wren’s comical yet aggressive machine-like song, and this day on the water we had a front row seat to this exuberant performance.

15. Hermit Thrush, Guerneville, California.

We consider ourselves very lucky to share our address with the Hermit Thrush year-round. This enchanting serenade has such a calming effect when it emanates from the forest, and it’s one of our favorites. Bonus vocalizations: (1) Can you tell which warbler sings at 0:54? (2) Listen closely towards the end to hear our dog Charlie panting in the background. What a patient boy he is!

In case you missed it, check out Our 15 Favorite Bird Photos From 2018.
 
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