Slushy Michigan rain in December.  Slushy December rain. When you live in Michigan, the weather can be pretty unpredictable. It might be sunny, rainy, and snowy all at the same time. It’s actually been pretty cold and snowy over the last couple of weeks, but during a brief warm-up, nearly everything melted, and it even rained for a day before completely snowing over again.  This recording of surprise winter rain was captured with the BasicUchos and F3 under an umbrella.  These are Outdoor Sounds. 

Early winter snowfall taps against lingering autumn leaves, creating a soft, steady white-noise soundscape. This recording is subtle and calming. If you’ve never experienced Michigan, we’re lucky to have all four seasons and a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees. Most years, the leaves are long gone by the time the first real snow arrives—but this year was different. An early snowfall came before the trees had fully let go of their leaves. As the snow fell, tiny pellet-like flakes tapped against the dry, crispy leaves still clinging to the branches in front of my house. It created a sound I don’t often hear: soft, rhythmic, and almost like natural white noise. The snow falls steadily, the leaves barely move, and the entire scene feels hushed and intimate, as if winter and autumn briefly overlapped.  This session was recorded using a Sennheiser shotgun microphone paired with a Zoom F3 digital recorder.  This is Outdoor Sounds.

Evening rush hour heard from the edge of winter woods—traffic, falling snow, and quiet creaks carried through cold air. When you live close to a city, it’s hard to avoid the sound of traffic—especially in winter. With the trees bare and snow covering the ground, sound carries differently, traveling farther and standing out more sharply against the otherwise quiet landscape. Today’s recording captures exactly that feeling. The ambiance of passing cars mixes with the subtle sounds of winter: falling snow, distant creaks from the trees, and the occasional shift of cold air through the branches. There’s something about this combination that feels unmistakably seasonal. The contrast between human movement and natural stillness is a hallmark of Midwest winter evenings, and this recording reflects that meeting point. This session was recorded in ORTF stereo with LOM BasicUchos and a Zoom F3. This is Outdoor Sounds.

A half-frozen winter runoff flowing into the Rogue River—gentle tones of water and ice recorded on a cold Midwest day. The longer I spend listening to nature… the clearer the subtleties become. Winter has fully arrived here in the Midwest, and during a quiet walk through the town of Rockford, Michigan, I went searching for something worth capturing. Near the boardwalk, I came across a small runoff feeding into the Rogue River—partially frozen, partially flowing, and full of delicate textures. What drew me in was the contrast: the steady movement of water beneath and around sheets of ice. If you listen closely, you’ll hear the soft shifting tones created as the current weaves through frozen edges, bubbles under ice, and breaks into open water. It’s a simple scene, but one that holds a surprising amount of detail the more you sit with it. This recording was captured in ORTF stereo using the LOM BasicUchos and a Zoom F3. For the best experience, listen with stereo headphones to catch the spatial movement and subtle character of the winter runoff. This is Outdoor Sounds. Links Rogue River Boardwalk | alltrails.com

Wind chimes on a breezy day. This Outdoor Sounds.  I’ve really been enjoying the simple things lately. We recently had a windy West Michigan day - it’s nature’s way of removing the rest of the leaves from the trees. And I capture the sounds of the little wind chime hanging off the roof on our deck.  It was recorded with my Sennheiser Shotgun mic and Zoom F3 recorder. 

Traveling to Australia. This is Outdoor Sounds.  Today’s episode is a special submission from a friend of mine, Jason Earle, the Founder of GotMold. Jason has been spending some time abroad and was able to capture some early morning nature sounds in Manly, New South Wales. It’s a popular beachside suburb of northern Sydney Australia.  The recording start very quite and then comes to life with the calls of birds around the 30 minute mark. It’s an amazing array of sounds that I’m not familiar with being from West Michigan.  So again, a huge thanks to Jason for sharing this recording. Enjoy.

Church silence. This is Outdoor Sounds.  Sometimes the best sound is when there is none at all. I recently stopped pray in the middle of the night at a church I knew was open. It was close to midnight, just barely raining, and silent in a way I haven’t heard in a long time.  Fortunately I had my equipment in the truck so I set up in this little grove or grotto on the side of the building and let it record while I went in to pray. You can listen for a whole lot of nothing. Just a few passing cars and the faint drops of rain from the roof.  I was recorded with my Lom basicucho mics and Zoom F3. 

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. 

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.