Sounds Southern

Recorded on February 21, 2026 on the Way Out West Deck, this is the sound of a late winter afternoon marked by steady soothing birdsong. Voices in the recording include Carolina Wren, Carolina Chickadee, Pine Warbler, American Crow, Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, Northern Cardinal, House Finch, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-bellied Woodpecker and Killdeer.

Recorded on February 18, 2026 in the woods at Cold Springs, this is the sound of the first stirrings of early spring as frogs emerge from winter hibernation. Among the season’s earliest callers, Upland Chorus Frogs and Wood Frogs lift their full breeding voices into the cool evening air. In the distance, a Barred Owl calls from the woods edge.

Recorded on January 24, 2026 at the dogtrot on the Way Out West deck, this is the sound of the first winter precipitation arriving with Winter Storm Fern. Sleet and freezing rain begin to fall as winter birds gather, including Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, Northern Cardinal, Carolina Chickadee, Red-bellied Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, White-throated Sparrow, Tufted Titmouse, Bewick’s Wren, American Crow, Brown Creeper and Song Sparrow. The icy weather settles in as their calls carry through the cold, icy air.

Recorded on January 18, 2026 at Heart Place, this is the sound of a dawn chorus at the woods edge circling Bullfrog Pond. An Eastern Gray Squirrel moves through the canopy as morning song rises from Red-shouldered Hawk, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Chipping Sparrow, Carolina Wren, White-breasted Nuthatch, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-rumped Warbler and American Crow.

Recorded on January 2, 2026 on the sleeping porch, this is the sound of a gentle winter rain playing a soft melody on the raindrum ad metal roof, accompanied by winter birdsong. Sounds Southern Extended listeners will hear over an hour of the delicate rain and birdsong from White-throated Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, House Sparrow, Red-shouldered Hawk, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Golden-crowned Kinglet, White-breasted Nuthatch, Eastern Towhee, House Finch, Cedar Waxwing, Carolina Chickadee, Blue Jay, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, American Crow, Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse and Northern Mockingbird including a curious Carolina Wren who sneaks onto the porch, flutters around, rings the Cosanti bell and slips back into the wet winter landscape.

Recorded on January 7, 2026 at the dogtrot, this is the sound of a morning chorus rising through dense fog that lingered over the hill country well into midday. Winter birdsong of Tufted Titmouse, Blue Jay, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, Carolina Wren, American Robin, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Field Sparrow, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red-shouldered Hawk, Hermit Thrush, Northern Mockingbird, Mourning Dove, Golden-crowned Kinglet, House Sparrow, American Goldfinch, Common Grackle, Pileated Woodpecker and Yellow-rumped Warbler gradually emerges from the frosted landscape as the quiet morning unfolds.

Recorded on January 10, 2026 in the early morning hours following an unseasonably warm winter day in the 70s, this is the sound of a gentle rain falling on the metal roof of the sleeping porch as a band of weather moves through and ushers in colder winter air. This soft pink noise is ideal for relaxation, meditation or drifting off to sleep.

Recorded on January 3, 2026 at Sardis Lake, this is the sound of waterfowl and wading birds beneath the light of the full January supermoon, also known as the Wolf Moon. Listeners will hear the quacks, burps, chitters, high whistles and deep rolling calls of courting Gadwalls, Mallards, Green-winged Teals and Hooded Mergansers, along with the harsh squawk of a passing Great Blue Heron. The water comes alive with splashing and swirling as a few hundred American White Pelicans collectively forage in the calm shallow waters near the dam’s levee wall. A distant train whistle carries across the lake while gentle waves lap the sandy shoreline, adding to the nocturnal winter soundscape. This recording is best listened to in a quiet setting.