Loon calls, at last!

I can't count how many times loon calls have been requested as an addition to this site. For my fellow Europeans, a 'loon' is the American name for what we call a 'diver'. I wasn't aware of their haunting calls until I started to investigate why I was receiving so many requests. Then I realized why there was such a demand. It's an iconic sound, just as wolves' howls are. I gave myself a challenge for 2018, to find a spot where I could record these birds, hopefully not too far from home.

The sounds you hear on this soundscape were recorded in April 2018, during a field recording trip to the Black River Valley in central Sweden. The trip was brilliantly organized by experienced naturalist Stefan Taylor, who knows the place like no one else, and it was open to other field recordists. Stefan led us to the exact lake where we would be able to record loons at night, and he proved to be absolutely correct, though the loons call only once or twice during the night at that time of the year. So, I had to leave my equipment running over a few consecutive nights to pick up the best samples. This soundscape also features sounds recorded while canoeing under a full moon down the Black River, at a late hour; in calm waters, surrounded by frogs and birds that were making noises I had never heard before. That trip offered rare recording opportunities. There will be more sound generators to come on myNoise!

Sampling sessions abroad are only possible because of the generosity of the people making donations to this website. May those contributors be assured of my deepest gratitude! Check out the pictures from the field recording trip to Sweden.

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