Outdoor Sounds

Slushy Michigan rain in December. 

Slushy December rain. When you live in Michigan, the weather can be pretty unpredictable. It might be sunny, rainy, and snowy all at the same time. It’s actually been pretty cold and snowy over the last couple of weeks, but during a brief warm-up, nearly everything melted, and it even rained for a day before completely snowing over again. 

This recording of surprise winter rain was captured with the BasicUchos and F3 under an umbrella. 

These are Outdoor Sound...

Early winter snowfall taps against lingering autumn leaves, creating a soft, steady white-noise soundscape.

This recording is subtle and calming. If you’ve never experienced Michigan, we’re lucky to have all four seasons and a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees. Most years, the leaves are long gone by the time the first real snow arrives—but this year was different.

An early snowfall came before the trees had fully let go of their leaves. As the snow fell, tiny pellet-like flakes tapped against the dry, crispy leaves still clinging to the br...

Evening rush hour heard from the edge of winter woods—traffic, falling snow, and quiet creaks carried through cold air.

When you live close to a city, it’s hard to avoid the sound of traffic—especially in winter. With the trees bare and snow covering the ground, sound carries differently, traveling farther and standing out more sharply against the otherwise quiet landscape.

Today’s recording captures exactly that feeling. The ambiance of passing cars mixes with the subtle sounds of winter: falling snow, distant creaks from the trees, and the occasional shift of...

A half-frozen winter runoff flowing into the Rogue River—gentle tones of water and ice recorded on a cold Midwest day.

The longer I spend listening to nature… the clearer the subtleties become. Winter has fully arrived here in the Midwest, and during a quiet walk through the town of Rockford, Michigan, I went searching for something worth capturing. Near the boardwalk, I came across a small runoff feeding into the Rogue River—partially frozen, partially flowing, and full of delicate textures.

What drew me in was the contrast: the steady movement of wat...

Church silence. This is Outdoor Sounds. 

Sometimes the best sound is when there is none at all.

I recently stopped pray in the middle of the night at a church I knew was open. It was close to midnight, just barely raining, and silent in a way I haven’t heard in a long time. 

Fortunately I had my equipment in the truck so I set up in this little grove or grotto on the side of the building and let it record while I went in to pray. You can listen for a wh...

Wind chimes on a breezy day. This Outdoor Sounds. 

I’ve really been enjoying the simple things lately. We recently had a windy West Michigan day - it’s nature’s way of removing the rest of the leaves from the trees. And I capture the sounds of the little wind chime hanging off the roof on our deck. 

It was recorded with my Sennheiser Shotgun mic and Zoom F3 recorder. 

Traveling to Australia. This is Outdoor Sounds. 

Today’s episode is a special submission from a friend of mine, Jason Earle, the Founder of GotMold. Jason has been spending some time abroad and was able to capture some early morning nature sounds in Manly, New South Wales. It’s a popular beachside suburb of northern Sydney Australia. 

The recording start very quite and then comes to life with the calls of birds around the 30 minute mark. It’s an amazing array of sounds that I’m not familiar with being from West Michigan. 

So again, a...

A running clean stream. This is Outdoor Sounds. 

Most of the time, I don’t need much. On this recording I sat in the woods on a Sunday afternoon for about an hour and a half while recording a beautiful little stream. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

This was recorded with my sennheiser mkh416 shotgun mic and zoom f3 digital recorder. 

Sitting in the woods with nothing to do. This is Outdoor Sounds. 

This is a shorter recording from my hour and a half stint in the woods. The bummer is I didn’t check the battery before recording and I only captured about 20 minutes of it. 

Regardless, I hope you are as relaxed as I was listening to this. 

It was recorded with my LOM BasicUchos and MixPre 6. 

The Early Morning Songbirds at a Hocking Hills Campground episode was the most popular recording from last quarter. So, here is the audio looped for over 8 hours for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!

Unwind by a September bonfire as the crackle fades to embers, joined by crickets, night air, and wildlife in this calming outdoor soundscape.

In this episode, you’ll join me for the wind-down of a family bonfire on a beautiful Sunday evening in September. As the fire slowly burns from bright crackles down to glowing embers, the surrounding nighttime soundscape begins to take center stage. You’ll hear the subtle rhythm of crickets, the occasional call of nearby wildlife, and the gentle rise and fall of autumn night air.

This recording was captured in stereo usin...

Wandering the Hansen Nature Trail at Millennium Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Wandering the Hansen Nature Trail at Millennium Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This started as an expedition to record the sounds at the pond, but was interrupted by a family fishing, so I decided to wander instead. 

Listen for a variety of sounds like birds, bugs, water, people riding bikes, other people riding those goofy pedal boats that don’t really work, and more. 

It was recorded in stereo with the Zoom F3 and LOM basicUcho microphones.

These are Outd...

Bugs celebrate their last summer hurrah on a noisy August night in the woodlands of Michigan. 

The transition between late summer into fall is made evident by one telltale factor: how loud the bugs get at night as August draws to a close. It’s like their last hurrah before the cold weather settles in. 

For this recording, I drove over to a local woods and set my equipment up on the back of the truck to capture the night activity. Recorded with the Zoom F3 and basicUcho mics. 

This is Outdoor Sounds. 

Nighttime sounds transition as a storm rolls in in late August. 

A storm rolls in in late August. 

Today’s recording captures an amazing transition. It begins with another loud August evening, similar to the previous episode, and about 15 minutes in, it transitions to a thunderstorm. As the storm rolls in, all of the bugs and night sounds disappear, and it shifts to the quickly heightening sound of rain and thunder. 

This was recorded in stereo with the Zoom F3 and LOM basicUcho microphones.

This is Outdoor Sounds. 

Taking a stroll on the shore of Lake Michigan. 

A short stroll down the shore of Lake Michigan. 

This episode was recorded with a DPA headset. So if you’re wearing headphones, the first half of the recording you’ll hear the waves in one ear and the ambience of beach goers in the other. You’ll hear when I’ve turned around to head back from where I came, as the waves and people switch ears, making for a truly immersive listening experience.

These are beautiful, binaural Outdoor Sounds.

Relaxing camping atmosphere from within a tent at Hocking Hills Campsite.

Relaxing in a tent as a storm blows in at Hocking Hills Campsite in scenic Logan, Ohio.  

This recording was made at the campsite from inside the tent. Listen for classic camp sounds like ambient talking, cars driving past, birds, and the wind picking up before a storm blew in. 

Recorded in stereo with the Zoom F3 and LOM basicUcho microphones.

This is Outdoor Sounds.

A steady midsummer rain shower in West Michigan.

Today you’re listening to a long, steady rain shower on a quiet midsummer afternoon. Listen for the rain falling on the leaves of a Japanese maple tree and the darkening sidewalk. 

This was recorded in stereo with the Zoom F3 and LOM basicUcho microphones.

This is Outdoor Sounds.

Energetic early birds at Hocking Hills State Park Campground in Ohio.

The most songbird activity I’ve ever heard. Recorded at my campsite in Hocking Hills State Park Campground in Ohio. 

These birds certainly put the early in earlybird. They woke me at 5:30 AM, I started recording at 6 AM. 

The majority of the recording is birds, but I do want you to pay attention to one louder call about 1/3 of the way into the recording. It was a bird doing a mating song and dance on the ground, just a few feet away from...

This episode is a LONG looped version of the Flowing Through Some Logs on the Kalamazoo episode. Great for deep focus, sleep, and more. Enjoy!

This is an 8 hour looped version of the popular "Hot Tub on the River" episode featuring the sounds of a hot tub running at an Airbnb property next to the Kalamazoo River.

A creepy, windy cemetery on All Hallows’ Eve.

Midday coffee next to the Kalamazoo River.

Cows graze the fields of Two Sparrows Farm in Eaton Rapids, Michigan.

The sun sets on a busy October evening at the Grand Ravines Loop.

A plethora of wildlife on a Blandford Nature Center trail. 

Heavy rain rolls in with a clap of thunder. One nice, long thunderstorm in West Michigan. 

City sounds of downtown Grand Rapids, MI.

Listen as the lake waves lap onto the sandy shores of Thunder Bay in Alpena, MI.

Part two of an eventful hike from daylight to darkness at Seidman Park Blue and Red Loop Trail. Steady streams, owls, deer, and other wildlife going about their evening.

Part one of an eventful hike from daylight to darkness at Seidman Park Blue and Red Loop Trail. Dogs off leashes, tripping over branches, daylight transitioning into dusk.

Persistent yet relaxing insect songs of a late September night in West Michigan.

A hot mug of coffee on the porch with a side of consistent rainfall.

A hot mug of coffee on the porch with a side of consistent rainfall.

A noisy park walk on the Donald J. Lamoreaux Park Loop off of the Grand River in Kent County, MI.

A cleansing springtime thunderstorm in late May.

Frogs chatter on a breezy summer night in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Close-up sounds of the Rockford Dam.

Woodpeckers, dragonflies, peepers, and other small animals enjoy a sunny afternoon in a swampy area of the Blandford Nature Center. 

Rain on the concrete in a cozy suburban neighborhood.

Spring thunderstorms are back in West Michigan.

Welcome back! Enjoy this rebroadcast of one of our most popular recordings to date. 

Winter ice melts into strong spring streams in North America. 

Woodland Sounds During a Solar Eclipse

A blustery week in midwest Michigan provides a symphony of whistling winds and the song of wind chimes in the breeze.

Geese, waterfowl, and woodland birds keep company on the trails alongside human hikers on Lake Leota Trail at Millennium Park.

Listen to this special, 10-hour extended-version of the popular episode that aired previously. Use for deep work, focus, rest, or sleep.

Wind-whipped waves off of ice-cold Lake Michigan as springtime buds.

The February Snow Moon shines over a backyard bonfire in midwest Michigan.

An unseasonably warm February morning stroll in Midwest Michigan.

A quiet reflective hike on the Crooked Lake Trail in the Pinckney Recreation Area. 

Water laps on the shore of Zukey Lake as the sun sets.

Find silence and sunshine on the Yellow Kahchin (Ca-chin) Hiking Trail.

Immerse yourself in a pitch-black night hike on the Appleton Trail.

Relaxing in a warm cottage on a cold Zukey Lake evening.

A cold and thoughtful trek on the wildlife-rife Maybury Hiking Trail Loop.

Maybury Hiking Short Loop is a simple trail, about a mile in length, great for families and dog walkers. In the winter, the conditions of this short hike are cold and wet, hovering around freezing temperatures with a mixture of rain and ice. Despite the need for extra layers and a good pair of gloves, it is a short, but refreshing, hike. 

Listen closely to these sounds:

The crunch of a hiker’s footsteps.

Soft chilled breaths inhaled and exhaled.

The occasional chirp of birds and insects.

The bark of...

Retreat into the eclectic avian sounds of Maybury Bluebird Meadow Trails in Brighton, Michigan, at dusk.

Day-old snow melts off of a bridge on the Wahfield Park trail, creating a delicate, echoing Michigan winter sound bath. 

Trek over the creek and through the woods (and field) on a simple trail in Wahlfield Park.

The breathtaking sounds of an early morning at an oceanside resort in Cabo San Lucas. 

The steady rush of water flowing down the Rockford Dam.

Unseasonal backyard birds pair their song with a seasonal leaf blower in an autumnal suburban backyard in Michigan.

Waves crash on the shores of a sandy beach, late in the evening in Cabo San Lucas. 

Chilly September waves splash on the shore of Oval Beach in Saugatuck, Michigan. You can practically smell the fresh lakeside air as you listen. 

Pay close attention to the following sounds.

Freshwater waves as they crash, ebb, and flow on the shore.

A gentle breeze.

Grains of sand, that once worked in part to create the massive dunes nearby, crunching below foot.

This was recorded with the Sound Devices MixPre-6 and SENNHEISER Mkh 416 Shotgun Mic.

These are simple but beautiful Outdoor Sounds. 

Link

Ov...

Mount Baldhead and Oval Beach Loop is a mildly busy, but rewarding hike in Saugatuck, Michigan. The trail starts with several hundred stairs as you walk down to Oval Beach. On the way back up you must climb a large sand dune. 

Listen for classic Michigan beach sounds.

A variety of bird calls and insects. 

People conversing and greeting hikers passing by.

The ebbing waves of Lake Michigan.

Footsteps upon the giant wooden staircase. 

This session was recorded with the Zoom F3...

Another Michigan thunderstorm hits its peak as the fall season settles in. While there are many thunderstorms that grace the season in Michigan each year, each is unique with its rumbling melody. This energetic storm makes its power known before taking its leave. 

Listen for these familiar sounds.

Intense rainfall and flowing water.

Deep, roaring thunder.

These are Outdoor Sounds. 

Follow the footsteps of your equine friends on the Eastmanville Farm Trail in Coopersville, Michigan.

Listen for the sounds of birds singing in the trees, the scuff of hiker’s boots, and crunching gravel underfoot.

Explore as ocean waves lap against the sandy shoreline of a tropical beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, as late summer turns to early autumn.

Discover the gentle tranquility of Rogue River Trail in Belmont, Michigan. 

Listen as the icy rain sprinkles and crackles outside with the bitter wind.

Venture out to Orchard Beach State Park on the shore of Lake Michigan just north of Manistee. This seasonally warm and sunny outing was busy with the wind rustling through the leaves.

A thunderstorm rolls in the distance as heavy rain floods the gutters and downspouts outside a home in West Michigan.

Early morning songbirds perform their song to greet the day just before sunrise outside of a home in West Michigan.

This recording captures a busy morning. It was the tailend of a rainstorm and the wildlife was active. You’ll mostly hear a variety of song birds, the undertones of rolling thunder, and gentle rain blowing through.