Recorded on March 16, 2025, at the dogtrot on the Way Out West Deck, this is the sound of Mississippi’s state bird in the midst of a midnight song marathon. Likely a young male searching for his first mate or an older one singing after losing his mate, the Northern Mockingbird’s song of varied phrases is joined by the barks, cackling and hoooaaaws of a Barred Owl duet. On this cool spring night, with temperatures dipping below 50 degrees, only a few spring field crickets and frogs can be heard—their calls slowed by the chill in the air. This recording is best heard in a quiet setting.

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Recorded on April 13, 2025, near Sardis Lake, this is the sound of the morning woods during the early days of warbler migration season. The mixed forest is alive with warbler song, from the Black-and-white, Kentucky, Hooded and Yellow-rumped Warblers to the star of the morning—the Cerulean Warbler—whose distinctive tune of three buzzy notes, four quick warbles and a high-pitched trill is a rare and welcome sound amid its ongoing population decline due to habitat loss. Listeners will hear the gusting winds rustling the tops of the towering white oaks (a particular favorite of the Cerulean) and additional birdcalls of the Eastern Wood-Pewee, Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireos, American Goldfinch, White-throated Sparrow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Robin, Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, Brown-headed Cowbird, Carolina Wren and Northern Parula. The rhythmic tapping of Red-bellied, Hairy and Pileated Woodpeckers adds texture in the background. This is a layered and lively portrait of early spring in the Mississippi hill country—a soundscape of transition, movement and return.

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