I’ve been recording at Medina River Natural Area on the weekends for the past few months. It is a nice place to record due to its distance away from highways once you get deeper into the natural area.
Recording birds is always unpredictable and you’ll never know what you’ll hear. There are some days when I’m feeling discouraged because I haven’t captured many interesting bird sounds and then suddenly something magical happens.
A stroll down the trail
It’s a warm morning in central Texas and I was hearing a bunch of bird sounds. Cardinals, Carolina Wrens, and Yellow-rumped Warblers were the most noticeable and persistent.
About halfway through my route, I spotted two birds bouncing through the trees next to the trail. They were unmistakably White-eyed Vireos from their song alone. A quick glance through my binoculars confirmed it.
An unexpected lap of duets
I slowly approached the tree where the birds were, aimed my microphone, and pressed record.
Watching these two birds, they would sing a few verses fly to another perch, and continue singing. They cycled between about five perches and continued to sing at each one.
It was magical. I don’t know if it was some display of courtship but it went on and on beyond the point l I was satisfied with my recording (over three minutes!).
It’s moments like this when I appreciate birdwatching as a hobby. To be witness to something mysterious and special is so gratifying.