Dawn on the Sagebrush Flats

This recording takes place in Dinosaur Provincial Park, in the Badlands of Southern Alberta. It is 530 in the morning and the sun is beginning to colour the North-eastern horizon. On the left we have the Red Deer River slowly making its way through the canyon; on the right, the fossil-rich hills of the badlands. The first half of this recording includes the sounds of a small herd of Mule Deer as they pass the microphone. Most ignore it, but a few cannot resist investigating, which produces a nice warm breath in your ear that you can almost feel. You will hear some hoof beats and some browsing sounds, but the most persistant sounds will be the birds of the dawn chorus. Amoung the birds you will hear are Clay-colored Sparrow, Northern House Wren, Mourning Dove, Canada Geese, Yellow Warbler, American Robin, Common Raven, Northern Flicker, Warbling Vireo, Least Flycatcher, Red-winged Blackbird, and, possibly the Brown-headed Cowbird. Occasionaly a loud, harsh call will be heard, which is the voice of a Ring-necked Pheasant, an gamebird that was introduced over one hundred years ago.