Soundscapes of the Seashore Transcripts

These soundscape transcripts are part of Soundscapes of the Seashore, an immersive digital experience that highlights Point Reyes’ vibrant sonic landscape on five remarkable trails across the park. In collaboration with Point Reyes National Seashore Association, four recordists set out to capture the sonic diversity of select trails around the Seashore. These soundscapes, in addition to photography, written narratives, and animation, explore the ways in which nature’s diverse voices travel through and are shaped by their ecosystems.

Abbotts Lagoon Trail

One-way recording from Abbotts Lagoon Trailhead to the ocean. Recorded and edited by Cheryl Leonard.

0:00 - :53: Birds in scrublands between the parking lot and the first bridge on the trail: California quail, wrentit, white-crowned sparrow, spotted towhee, California scrub jay (5-27-22)

00:53 - 1:34: Birds in a scrubby wetland area recorded from the boardwalk: song sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, Bewick’s wren, spotted towhee (5-27-22)

1:34 - 3:02: Brewer’s blackbirds in thick shrubs on the trail where it runs parallel to the inner lagoon. White-crowned sparrow and wrentit also present. (5-27-22)

3:02 - 4:40: Waves lapping in the outer lagoon close to the bridge, with a white-crowned sparrow in the distance (5-27-22)

4:40 - 6:18: Killdeer in sand dunes near the outer lagoon (7-21-22)

6:18 - 8:01: Caspian terns (adults and juveniles) flying over the outer lagoon, halfway between the bridge and the ocean. Many brown pelicans were also in the lagoon, but not vocalizing. (7-21-22)

8:01 - 10:04 Pacific Ocean surf (7-21-22)

Bear Valley Trail

Morning to night binaural recording from Bear Valley Trailhead to Divide Meadow. Recorded and edited by Kristina Dutton.

00:00- 00:53: It is morning, sometime between 7-8 AM. An American crow begins the day’s chorus with its croaky call, while a chestnut-backed chickadee vocalizes continuously with high, scratchy chirps. A Pacific wren and blue-gray gnatcatcher also vocalize. Water flows in a nearby stream.

00:54: An osprey begins to call about five times.

00:55-00:57: Birdsong continues, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

00:58: A hairy woodpecker begins calling every so often.

00:59-1:09: Birdsong continues, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

1:10: A song sparrow joins the chorus.

1:10-1:13: Birdsong continues, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

1:14: A band-tailed pigeon joins the chorus, singing continuously with a low-pitched “coo.”

1:15-1:19: Birdsong continues, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

1:20: A Stellar’s jay joins the chorus with its raspy, repeated call.

1:21-1:53: Birdsong continues, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping. A woodpecker knocks its beak against a tree.

1:54: A Wilson’s warbler joins the chorus.

1:55-2:28: Birdsong and woodpecker knocking continues, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

2:29: An osprey begins calling again.

2:30-2:45: It is late morning. Birdsong continues, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

2:46: An acorn woodpecker begins calling.

2:47-3:07: Birdsong continues, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

3:08: A frog begins croaking, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

3:09-5:14: Birdsong and frog croaks continue, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping. Water in the nearby stream is still gurgling, and a woodpecker resumes knocking.

5:15: Afternoon begins. When the heat of the sun takes over in August, the woods become a bit quieter. Leaves rustle, flies buzz, and there is a sort of stillness in the air. We’ve moved up in altitude quite a way, en route to Mt. Wittenberg.

5:16-5:19: Birdsong continues, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

5:20: A pygmy nuthatch begins vocalizing with its continuous, squeaky call.

5:21-5:24: Birdsong continues, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

5:25: An insect buzzes by.

5:25-5:51: Birdsong continues, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

5:52-6:08: It is around 1:30 PM, and some species’ calls and songs fade out. Horse’s hooves clomp loudly on the trail and people are heard speaking and humming indistinguishably. A few bird songs continue in the background.

6:09-6:30: It is late afternoon. Sounds of horses and people begin to fade away, and are replaced with cicada sounds.

6:31: A Stellar’s jay begins vocalizing in the distance.

6:32: A golden-crowned kinglet and Hutton’s vireo begin chirping.

6:33-6:43: Birdsong continues, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

6:44: California quails begin chirping and singing continuously.

6:45-6:59: The sun has set. We are about 50 feet from the trailhead. An owl hoots in the distance.

7:00: It is around 5:30 PM. Birdsong continues. The day is cooling down a bit, but a hot summer wind blows. The wind has a kind of wild, eerie feeling to it, as hot summer winds sometimes do.

7:01-7:29: Birdsong continues, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

7:30: It is evening–around 6:30 PM. The sun is low.

7:38: A black-crowned night heron produces a single forceful and low-pitched call.

7:39-8:42: California quail titter once in a while and cricket sounds begin. Cicada sounds continue.

8:43-8:59: A creature rustles in the bushes. Crickets join the symphony at different frequencies.

9:00: The sky is dim, though not fully dark. We are getting close to the trailhead, at the beginning of the meadow right as the trail opens to the sky overhead.

9:01-9:29: Cricket and cicada sounds continue.

9:30-9:39: The sun has set. We are next to the meadow, 50 ft. from the trailhead. Cricket and cicada sounds continue.

9:40-10:11: A great-horned owl hoots in the distance, and all sound fades out.

Palomarin to Alamere Falls Trail

One-way recording from Palomarin Trailhead to Alamere Falls. Recorded in September 2022 and edited by Ernst Karel.

00:00-00:40: Before turning inland, Coast Trail follows along a steep cliff down to the ocean below. The sound of waves crashing washes up, filtered and modulated by the strong wind.

00:30-1:55: Entering into the more sheltered forested area, an interaction between a couple of birds – a stellar jay and song sparrow.

2:00-3:14: We pass through more forested areas, lingering near ponds on the way to Bass Lake, and hear the wind in the trees. The wind sounds different through the needles of pine trees than it does through the leaves of deciduous trees – along this path we will hear both.

3:12-3:38: At a low point in the trail, water flows across the trail from uphill on the right, down into Bass Lake on the left. People have to carefully step through or try to balance on pieces of wood.

3:32-4:35: Continuing along between Bass Lake and Pelican Lake. Birds heard along the way include California scrub jay, song sparrow, wrentit, red-winged blackbird, and Hutton’s vireo. People walk past on the trail, chatting to one another quietly in Spanish.

4:33-5:42: We’re at a point in the trail where there’s a clear overview of Pelican Lake from uphill. At the far end of the lake, a large group of western gulls is playing around and coming and going to and from the sea, which is beyond view.

5:43-6:55: We’re headed towards Wildcat Campground. Birds heard on this portion of the trail are golden-crowned kinglet and chestnut-backed chickadees. Hikers’ footsteps trudge along the trail.

6:52 -7:53: After passing Wildcat Campground, the rest of the walk is along the beach, walking south toward the falls. Groups of seabirds are nearby, and waves are streaming up around our feet.

7:53-10:00: We’ve reached Alamere Falls, the water loudly splashing and gurgling as it falls onto the beach. The piece concludes with listening to the movement of the water in the falls and pools from inside the water itself – through underwater hydrophones.

Five Brooks Trail

Recording on the Five Brooks Loop, starting at the Five Brooks Trailhead. It spans a period from 9:30am - 4:30pm toward the end of July. Recorded and edited by Mark Lipman.

00:00-1:36: A murder of American crows loudly squawk and a bullfrog croaks. Hikers chat with one another and their footsteps pass by.

1:37-2:31: Horses hooves clomp and horseback riders chat. The metal saddles are audible. After the horses have been walking for a while, a red-breasted nuthatch and band-tailed pigeon begin to vocalize.

2:32-2:50: A swarm of flies buzz loudly around some fresh horse manure as bushtits chirp in the background.

2:51-3:55: A woodpecker knocks against a tree. A red-tailed hawk screeches. On this portion of the trail, a pygmy nuthatch and dark-eyed junco are heard. Some more insects buzz by.

3:56-4:42: Water flows past, and branches move in the wind, creaking. A fly buzzes by briefly.

4:43-6:22: A great-horned owl begins hooting, and the flowing water quiets down. A red-breasted nuthatch, pine siskin, band-tailed pigeon, spotted towhee, wrentit, bushtit, and brown creep join the chorus. Insects are buzzing by.

6:23-8:04: California quail chatter. More hikers walk past. A Steller's jay squawks.

8:05-9:19: Horses and horseback riders walk by, talking; one of the riders yells “hello.”

9:20-9:57: Water gurgles past, and the piece fades to a close.

Muddy Hollow Trail

An unedited dawn chorus recorded just north of the Muddy Hollow parking lot in early October, beginning at 6:45am. Recorded by Mark Lipman.

00:00-00:22: Spotted towhee and California towhee begin the chorus. Waves crash in the distance, about two miles away. Creek water flows continuously, gurgling through the lush riparian landscape.

00:23: A great horned owl joins the chorus, its deep hoot resonating.

00:24-00:29: The birdsong and watery symphony continue, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

00:30: A song sparrow joins the chorus.

00:31-1:15: The birdsong and watery symphony continue, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

1:16: A hermit thrush joins the chorus.

1:17-1:52: The birdsong and watery symphony continue, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

1:53: A Bewick’s wren joins the chorus.

1:54-3:36: The birdsong and watery symphony continue, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

3:37: Red-tailed hawk screeches.

3:38-5:19: The birdsong and watery symphony continue, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

5:20: A wrentit joins the chorus.

5:21-5:39: The birdsong and water symphony continue, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

5:40: A Pacific wren joins the chorus.

5:41-5:43: The birdsong and water symphony continue, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

5:44: Red-tailed hawk screeches.

5:45-7:34: The birdsong and water symphony continue, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

7:35: A footstep rustles vegetation underfoot.

7:36-8:05: The birdsong and water symphony continue, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

8:05: An American crow and white-throated sparrow join the chorus.

8:06-9:02: The birdsong and water symphony continue, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

9:03: A chestnut-backed chickadee joins the chorus.

9:04-11:00: The birdsong and water symphony continue, with previously mentioned birds continuing to sing or chirp and some stopping.

11:01-11:41: Several branches snap, and a black-tailed deer emits quick, hoarse barks. The birdsong and water symphony continue, and all sound slowly fades out.