The music of morning doves and wrens can be heard while the raven family begins their day with expressive voices.

This place was surrealistic, especially at night with white snow and red soil with rain-cut figurines. Maybe it's the gentle echoes, or the sparseness, or the changing colors--it's hard to tell exactly why this place held my attention for so long but it did. I managed to navigate my way to the bottom of a cliff where I had hoped to use the rock surface to naturally amplify the morning birdsong. This was my first recording session here and I was in the dark, imagining where the birds would sing and how the sound would reflect in the morning. For now, the rock was silent and I was cold.

The dawn chorus came slowly but sweetly from far away. The wren's ping was so simple and pure, penetrating the rock. The doves sounded like flutes playing clear, low notes.

The raven calls were a total surprise; an intimate moment between parents working in partnership with a nest full of young. Unlike many birds, ravens have voices with remarkable human qualities; they use names and have dialects.

After the recording session I felt blessed. I worked my way down the valley for the rest of the day, looking for more unexpected opportunities and eventually spent the night half way up a cliff staring into the upper branches of a cottonwood tree.