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About the recordist

Mike Melton

Mike Melton

I am a bird photographer and amateur sound recordist based in Olympia, Washington. I love field recording, especially in the tropics.
Baird's Tapir eating Jicaro Danto at Tapir Valley
The Jicaro Danto tree is an important food source for the Baird's Tapir in northern Costa Rica. In this audio clip, you can hear a tapir approaching the tree and reaching up to pull the fruits down to the ground to eat. These fruits are very tough and tapirs are the only animals strong enough to eat them. You can also hear a pair of Crested Owls calling to each other.
Red-eyed Vireo at Rock Creek Park
This Red-eyed Vireo was singing near the creek at Rock Creek Park on a hot morning. There is quite a bit of human noise in this clip, including a helicopter and ambulance.
Sunrise at McLane Creek Nature Trail
The beaver pond wakes up with the sounds of birds.
Santee National Wildlife Refuge - Bluff Unit
This audio was recorded early in the morning along the service road in the wildlife refuge.
White-collared Manakin Lek at Tapir Valley Nature Reserve
White-collared Manakins "lek" (or perform courtship displays) for much of the year. This display includes chirps and whistles and very distinctive wing-snaps.
Explosions at McLane Creek Nature Trail
The state forest that is adjacent to McLane Creek is a popular location for blowing things up. In this recording, I believe it is fireworks but it's not usual to hear gunfire or other explosions.
McLane Creek Nature Trail at sunrise
This recording was done using a drop rig left near the pond for a few days. The recording starts with silence, then Willow Flycatchers can be heard. Swainson's Thrushes join in a few minutes. This clip is unedited, so there is some ambient distant highway noise and an airplane.
Primary forest at Tapir Valley nature reserve
This field recording was started at 5pm. Once the sun sets, you can hear a pair of Crested Owls calling to each other in the forest. My audio rig was set up near a Jicaro danto tree, a popular tree for tapirs who enjoy the fruits. At approximately 51 minutes into the clip, a Baird's Tapir walks through the forest and spends time chewing on the fruit. This part of the forest is approximately 100 meters from the road and you can hear the regular traffic that passes by.
Spectacled Owls in the forest at Tapir Valley Nature Reserve
This pair of Spectacled Owls were hunting just before sunrise. The higher pitch call is the female and the lower pitch call is the male. She calls and he responds all night as they patrol the forest.
Dawn rain at Tapir Valley
This recording was started at 4:45 AM, just as the first hint of light appears in the east. This was a dark, wet day and there was a slow start to activity at the lagoon. A few birds can be heard but the treat in this clip is the Howler Monkeys greeting the sun.
Pacific Tree Frogs at McLane Creek Nature Trail
A midnight recording of Pacific tree frogs (Pseudacris regilla) at McLane Creek Nature Trail near Olympia, Washington. This recording is unedited and you can hear the drone of traffic in the background even though the freeway is miles away.
Midnight lagoon at Tapir Valley Nature Reserve
This audio was recorded near the lagoon at Tapir Valley Nature Reserve. It was the beginning of the wet season, and there are some nice frog calls in this clip.
Lagoon at sunrise after the first rain
The frogs at Tapir Valley are usually nocturnal and are much quieter during the day. But this was the morning after the first heavy rain of the wet season, and the lagoon had water for the first time in months. The frogs were delighted and their choruses created a roar that you could hear throughout Tapir Valley.
Screaming Piha
The Screaming Piha (Lipaugus vociferans) is quintessential sound of the Amazon rainforest. These birds perform this elaborate call all day long, and you can often hear other birds responding in the distance.
The lagoon at Tapir Valley
This recording was done near the lagoon at Tapir Valley.
Orange-billed Sparrow
Orange-billed Sparrows are rainforest birds that forage on the ground. They're common in riparian zones, but can be challenging to get a good view of as they're very shy. Their calls are at very high frequency, so it can be challenging to pinpoint where they are. In the background of this clip, you can hear a Thicket Antpitta calling, as well.