4/28/21 around midnight, Turkey Creek, Aravaipa Canyon near Klondyde AZ.
NOTE: This is a ambient binaural soundscape; please listen with headphones!
During a late April visit to the magical Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness Area in southeastern Arizona, I make my way to a remote side canyon where I camp under a large Cottonwood tree next to a small, gently splashing waterfall.
The moon is full and a light fog hovers over the canyon. Around midnight, I am awakened by the distant melodic hoots of a Mexican Spotted Owl … hoo, hoo-hoo, hoo-oh. I also notice the sweet up-slurred whistles of a fledgling, presumably anticipating a tasty treat.
The exchange continues for several minutes until another owl arrives and delivers the meal. The fledgling squeals with delight and then settles down. Serenaded by the fledgling’s whistles and the very distant hoots of one of the adults, I soon fall back asleep.
A Note from Lang:
This is perhaps my favorite Spotted Owl soundscape. While I have many close-up recordings of the species, I prefer this gentle ambient rendition because it invites the listener into the multidimensional listening experience itself … the sounds of the owls set against the spacious drippy splashes of the waterfall and the whooshy rush of the stream that drains the falls. And all this happens within the sheltered walls of a narrow desert canyon, with a full moon piercing the fog and illuminating the cottonwood, so freshly leafed and towering above.
