One of four albums in the Olympic National Park Series.

This is one of four albums in the Olympic National Park Series. This series includes Songs of Spring, Forest Rain, Ocean Dreams, and Autumn Echoes.

Olympic National Park is an area of exceptional natural beauty. It contains the largest and best example of virgin temperate rain forest in the western hemisphere, the largest intact stand of coniferous forest in the contiguous 48 states, and the largest truly wild herd of Roosevelt elk. It features 57 miles of spectacular coastline (the largest section of coast in the lower 48 states) and numerous offshore islands combined with heavily forested mountain slopes, alpine parklands and glacier-capped mountains in scenic splendor. Jagged, glacier-capped peaks rise nearly 8000 feet above sea level. 200 inches of precipitation falls annually on some of the higher peaks.

The park contains one of the most pristine ecosystems in the contiguous United States with over 1200 higher plants, over 300 species of birds and over 70 species of mammals. At least eight species of plants and 18 species of animals are found only on the Olympic Peninsula and nowhere else in the world. Twelve major rivers and 200 smaller streams provide a rich habitat for fish and other aquatic creatures.

Salmon still migrate seasonally to spawn the clean, clear water of many Olympic rivers and streams. Ninety-five percent of Olympic National Park is designated wilderness. Over 600 miles of trails provide access to these wild areas.

Olympic National Park is a designated Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Park.

The park has a diverse natural soundscape combined with substantial periods of natural quiet. Unlike other national parks, such as Yellowstone, Grand Canyon or Hawaii Volcanoes, air tourism is undeveloped and roads do not divide park lands. A variety of natural soundscapes exist in a relatively small area. Alpine glaciers, rain forests, lakes, streams, waterfalls and the longest wilderness beach in the lower 48 states, provide an unsurpassed opportunity. Olympic is truly the "Listener's Yosemite."

I first listened to Rialto Beach in 1981 (the location for Ocean Dreams). That experience compelled me to turn my attention to the profession of nature sound portraiture, an occupation that I was finally able to achieve full-time after nine more years of study and practice. I moved from Seattle to Port Angeles in 1994, just to be closer to the park. Never have I found two opportunities to be the same, always interesting, always informative and deeply inspiring. No matter where else I might go in the world to record, Olympic National Park brings me back home.

I've put many of my best recordings into these four albums to give you a sense of this incredible natural treasure. You'll hear spring voices of frogs, listen to birdsongs, experience soaking rain and a passing thunderstorm, bugling elk, and more of nature's symphony.

Forest Rain
Description of sound events with species ID.

00:00 Start with dappling rain drops
00.25 Western Winter Wren (distant)
00:37 American Robin song
01:55 Chestnut-backed Chickadee, soft call notes
02:38 Winter Wren
03:20 Chickadees and Golden-crowned Kinglets
04:46 Robin song
05:19 Dark-eyed Junco
05:34 Rain begins to subside
05:51 Pacific Tree Frog & Robin (Hairy Woodpecker in distance as higher pitched squeak
06:25 Blue Grouse hoots, Northwestern Crow, Robin song
07:00 Robins singing and calling
07:15 Pacific Tree Frog
08:10 Robins, Varied Thrush and Blue Grouse (distant)
08:40 Tree Frog and American Robins
09:17 Blue Grouse Hoots (soft), mostly Robin songs
11:05 Winter Wren, 2 short songs, Robin alarm calls
11:20 Robin alarm calls, typical of nearby owl presence
12:54 Robin song commences again, also tree frogs.
15:02 Dark-eyed Junco sings several times, Robin song
18:00 Dark-eyed Junco songs (nice trills), Robin songs, Tree Frogs.
19:05 Blue Grouse hoots begin (distant)
20:40 Robins alarm calls again, also some Robin songs, Tree Frogs
24:39 Junco flies through with clicking call notes
24:47 Robin song and frog chorus, then frog solos
25:25 Prominent Tree Frog chorus
26:02 Song Sparrow sings once
27:45 Prominent Rainfall begins
33:05 Chestnut-backed Chickadee
35:40 Rain subsides to dapples on puddles
35:50 Louder Chickadee
36:30 Douglas Squirrel prominent
38:08 Winter Wren calls, approach
39:25 Squirrel
39:43 Raven
40:50 Kinglets, Chickadees, Squirrel, (all distant)
43:10 Red Crossbills (distant)
43:18 Red Crossbills (distant), Winter Wren chirps prominent (then fly by), Kinglet notes
44:00 Red Crossbills (across distance)
44:30 Chestnut-backed Chickadees
47:45 Ravens calling, flapping by
49:09 Winter Wren call notes and Squirrel squeaks :
51:37 Chickadee
52:00 Red Crossbill
52:28 Golden-crowned Kinglets and Chestnut-backed Chickadee
54:30 Gray Jay calls a few times

*Species identification provided by Libby Mills