Explore every episode of the podcast Outdoor Sounds

A running clean stream. This is Outdoor Sounds.  Most of the time, I don’t need much. On this recording I sat in the woods on a Sunday afternoon for about an hour and a half while recording a beautiful little stream. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. This was recorded with my sennheiser mkh416 shotgun mic and zoom f3 digital recorder. 

Sitting in the woods with nothing to do. This is Outdoor Sounds.  This is a shorter recording from my hour and a half stint in the woods. The bummer is I didn’t check the battery before recording and I only captured about 20 minutes of it.  Regardless, I hope you are as relaxed as I was listening to this.  It was recorded with my LOM BasicUchos and MixPre 6. 

The Early Morning Songbirds at a Hocking Hills Campground episode was the most popular recording from last quarter. So, here is the audio looped for over 8 hours for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!

Unwind by a September bonfire as the crackle fades to embers, joined by crickets, night air, and wildlife in this calming outdoor soundscape. In this episode, you’ll join me for the wind-down of a family bonfire on a beautiful Sunday evening in September. As the fire slowly burns from bright crackles down to glowing embers, the surrounding nighttime soundscape begins to take center stage. You’ll hear the subtle rhythm of crickets, the occasional call of nearby wildlife, and the gentle rise and fall of autumn night air. This recording was captured in stereo using a Zoom F3 paired with LOM BasicUcho microphones, designed to faithfully bring out the texture of both fire and night insects. For the best experience, listen with headphones to immerse yourself fully in the natural ambiance. Whether you’re looking to relax, fall asleep, or simply enjoy a moment of calm, this episode invites you to sit back and imagine yourself by the warmth of the fire under the September sky. This is Outdoor Sounds.

Wandering the Hansen Nature Trail at Millennium Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Wandering the Hansen Nature Trail at Millennium Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This started as an expedition to record the sounds at the pond, but was interrupted by a family fishing, so I decided to wander instead.  Listen for a variety of sounds like birds, bugs, water, people riding bikes, other people riding those goofy pedal boats that don’t really work, and more.  It was recorded in stereo with the Zoom F3 and LOM basicUcho microphones. These are Outdoor Sounds

Bugs celebrate their last summer hurrah on a noisy August night in the woodlands of Michigan.  The transition between late summer into fall is made evident by one telltale factor: how loud the bugs get at night as August draws to a close. It’s like their last hurrah before the cold weather settles in.  For this recording, I drove over to a local woods and set my equipment up on the back of the truck to capture the night activity. Recorded with the Zoom F3 and basicUcho mics.  This is Outdoor Sounds. 

Nighttime sounds transition as a storm rolls in in late August.  A storm rolls in in late August.  Today’s recording captures an amazing transition. It begins with another loud August evening, similar to the previous episode, and about 15 minutes in, it transitions to a thunderstorm. As the storm rolls in, all of the bugs and night sounds disappear, and it shifts to the quickly heightening sound of rain and thunder.  This was recorded in stereo with the Zoom F3 and LOM basicUcho microphones. This is Outdoor Sounds. 

Taking a stroll on the shore of Lake Michigan.  A short stroll down the shore of Lake Michigan.  This episode was recorded with a DPA headset. So if you’re wearing headphones, the first half of the recording you’ll hear the waves in one ear and the ambience of beach goers in the other. You’ll hear when I’ve turned around to head back from where I came, as the waves and people switch ears, making for a truly immersive listening experience. These are beautiful, binaural Outdoor Sounds.

Relaxing camping atmosphere from within a tent at Hocking Hills Campsite. Relaxing in a tent as a storm blows in at Hocking Hills Campsite in scenic Logan, Ohio.   This recording was made at the campsite from inside the tent. Listen for classic camp sounds like ambient talking, cars driving past, birds, and the wind picking up before a storm blew in.  Recorded in stereo with the Zoom F3 and LOM basicUcho microphones. This is Outdoor Sounds.

A steady midsummer rain shower in West Michigan. Today you’re listening to a long, steady rain shower on a quiet midsummer afternoon. Listen for the rain falling on the leaves of a Japanese maple tree and the darkening sidewalk.  This was recorded in stereo with the Zoom F3 and LOM basicUcho microphones. This is Outdoor Sounds.

Energetic early birds at Hocking Hills State Park Campground in Ohio. The most songbird activity I’ve ever heard. Recorded at my campsite in Hocking Hills State Park Campground in Ohio.  These birds certainly put the early in earlybird. They woke me at 5:30 AM, I started recording at 6 AM.  The majority of the recording is birds, but I do want you to pay attention to one louder call about 1/3 of the way into the recording. It was a bird doing a mating song and dance on the ground, just a few feet away from the mic. He was really putting on a show. This early-morning recording was captured in stereo with my Zoom F3 and LOM basicUcho mics. This is Outdoor Sounds.  Link Hocking Hills State Park Campground

This episode is a LONG looped version of the Flowing Through Some Logs on the Kalamazoo episode. Great for deep focus, sleep, and more. Enjoy!

This is an 8 hour looped version of the popular "Hot Tub on the River" episode featuring the sounds of a hot tub running at an Airbnb property next to the Kalamazoo River.

A creepy, windy cemetery on All Hallows’ Eve.

Midday coffee next to the Kalamazoo River.

Cows graze the fields of Two Sparrows Farm in Eaton Rapids, Michigan.

The sun sets on a busy October evening at the Grand Ravines Loop.

A plethora of wildlife on a Blandford Nature Center trail. 

Heavy rain rolls in with a clap of thunder. One nice, long thunderstorm in West Michigan. 

City sounds of downtown Grand Rapids, MI.

Listen as the lake waves lap onto the sandy shores of Thunder Bay in Alpena, MI.

Part two of an eventful hike from daylight to darkness at Seidman Park Blue and Red Loop Trail. Steady streams, owls, deer, and other wildlife going about their evening.

Part one of an eventful hike from daylight to darkness at Seidman Park Blue and Red Loop Trail. Dogs off leashes, tripping over branches, daylight transitioning into dusk.

Persistent yet relaxing insect songs of a late September night in West Michigan.

A hot mug of coffee on the porch with a side of consistent rainfall.

A hot mug of coffee on the porch with a side of consistent rainfall.

A noisy park walk on the Donald J. Lamoreaux Park Loop off of the Grand River in Kent County, MI.

A cleansing springtime thunderstorm in late May.

Frogs chatter on a breezy summer night in Grand Rapids, Michigan.