Running Time:

67 min

Release Date:

February 2006

Recording Location:

Track 1-4: Sundown NP, SE Qld
Track 5: Kooyoora SP, central Vic
Track 6-9: Killawarra SP, NE Vic
Track 10: Mount Eccles SP, west Vic
Track 11: Fryerstown Forest, central Vic
Track 12-13: Ben Boyd NP, SE NSW
Track 14-15: Strangways, central Vic

An Evening in the Australian Bush

Discover the variety of nocturnal sounds to be heard in the Australian bush

Late afternoon birdsong gives way to the rhythms of frogs and nocturnal insects on dusk. As diurnal birds settle down to roost, the creatures of the night begin to be heard; sugar gliders, possums, nightjars, a distant koala, and a variety of owls including the haunting powerful owl.

Nocturnal insects create a calming wash of sound, and eventually the hypnotic calls of tawny frogmouths blend with the soft chirruping of crickets, leading you into the stillness of the deep night.

Andrew comments:

"This album presents the diversity of animals and night birds that can be commonly heard at night in the bushland of southeast Australia.

"Actually, some are not that common. Powerful owls are not often encountered, and it is always special to hear their booming calls. Whilst boobook owls are very common, the first calls from one presented here are a rarely heard call variation (they could easily be mistaken for something else, and I suspect it may be a begging call from either juvenile or adult). Similarly, I've only ever heard the clicking call from a white-throated nightjar once - fortunately, I had the mics on!

"Understandably, some people may find being outdoors in the dark a little frightening, but personally, I love being out in the bush at night. The air is often still, sound carries far, and listening for those night animals is fun. Many night creatures use sound, and so listening offers the opportunity to recognise what is around. So as well as being enjoyable, I hope this recording may help you recognise some of those mysterious sounds of the night."

Remastered Edition 2018

I've never been completely happy with the original edit of this recording. Now with vastly improved digital technology, I've been able to return to the original field recordings, clean them up, fine tune the edit, and achieve a better sonic balance.

The track sequence is pretty much identical to the original, with a few minor additions.

If you've downloaded this album previously, this remastered edition will replace the original version in your order history, and you're welcome to download it anew.

 

Audio sample of this album

Late Afternoon to Dusk ~

1.

Last Birdsong of the Day (with Grey Thrush, Yellow Robins, Satin Bowerbird & Red Wattlebirds)

6.38

2.

Pied Currawongs

4.41

Early Evening ~

3.

Frog Chorus - Crinia signifera

7.01

4.

Bush Stone Curlews

2.38

5.

Boobook Owl

3.20

Creatures of the Night Emerge ~

6.

White-throated Nightjars and Brushtail Possum

1.55

7.

Sugar Glider

1.51

8.

Barking Owl

2.54

9.

Barn Owl

0.48

10.

Koala

2.26

11.

Powerful Owl

3.37

12.

Ringtail Possum

4.27

13.

Return of the Boobook Owl

6.04

Into the Stillness of the Deep Night ~

14.

Tawny Frogmouth

14.43

15.

Owlet Nightjars

3.42

This album on our blog

Late Night Visitor - A Tawny Frogmouth (photos)

It's 10.30 pm, and Andrew and I are about to head off to bed, when we hear a soft thump on the window pane. From experience we know that a sound like this can only be made by either a larg...

Read more >

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