Step into the living soundscape of Scandinavia with Wild Bird Acoustics — a deeply immersive birding podcast hosted by birder, naturalist, and sound recorder Alan Dalton. Recorded across the forests, wetlands, coastlines, and wild spaces of Sweden, this podcast invites listeners to slow down, listen carefully, and reconnect with nature through authentic bird sound recordings and atmospheric natural audio. Each episode blends rich field recordings of birdsong, calls, and ambient wilderness soundscapes with thoughtful reflections, identification tips, behavioural insights, and stories from the field. Whether you are a seasoned birder refining your ear, a beginner learning to identify species by sound, or simply someone seeking calm and restoration through natural audio, Wild Bird Acoustics offers a unique and rewarding listening experience. Expect intimate encounters. From the haunting display of Black-throated Diver across pristine lakes, to the rhythmic drumming of woodpeckers deep in expansive Swedish forests, to the wider calm of the dawn chorus. The podcast explores both common and elusive Scandinavian species, helping listeners gradually build confidence in identifying birds by ear, whilst delving into the amazing world of bird vocalizations. But this is more than a birding podcast. The carefully captured environmental audio carries a powerful ASMR qualities, gentle wind through birch trees, rain on woodland foliage, distant cranes calling at dawn, waves along Baltic shorelines, and the layered textures of untouched habitats. I hope listeners will find the recordings profoundly calming. Birdsong audio for mental wellbeing, stress relief, mindfulness, sleep, relaxation, study, or quiet reflection. In a noisy world, I hope that Wild Bird Acoustics will create space to breathe and simply listen... Welcome to Wild Bird Acoustics!
A Bird in the Bush; The Secret World of Autumn Migration
Along the coast of Västerbotten, each autumn, a vast migration of birds takes place each year. In 2025, by means of passive recording, I was able to monitor this migration by placing a recorder in cover for two months. During this period, a wide range of species moved through this area. On some mornings, the migration was heavy. There were times when migrant species were moving through cover. past my recorder at close range. This project gave me a unique insight into what was taking place at the island during the months of August and September. It is during these two months when passage is heaviest. Some of the resulting audio was remarkable and lifted the lid on bird movements through the area. In this episode, I share and discuss the audio with listeners. Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
The VisMig Files #2; Early May at Tyresta National Park
Wild Bird Acoustics brings you two sound magazines in this episode. As Autumn now stretches out in front of us, I thought this might be a good time to include the second installment of passively recorded audio from my listening station at Hällögern in Västrbotten. Podcast listener's will now be very familiar with this location, but this will be the first time I will share audio from the late autumn period at this site. In 2024, due of the aqquisition on a new SM Mini recorder for this site, I was able to passively record for a significantly longer period of time, which allowed me to collect audio all the way into mid November. I will share the results of that passive deployment with listeners in this sound magazine. The second half of this episode concernes itself with field recording at Tyresta National Park in early May. Having recorded there extensively throughout early spring, it was wonderful to get out into the field and experience new sounds in the park in May, those of newly return summer migrants. It is during the late spring period that many breeding species return and reclaim breeding territories at this site and I was on hand to get some lovely audio as this began to happen in 2025. Join me as I share some wonderful audio of a wide range of species, as summer species began to flood back into Sweden. Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
From Woodland to Flooded Meadow; The Sandemar Files #4
In this, the final installment of the Sandemar Files, I take you on an auditory tour of Sandemar Reserve, exploring the wonderful sounds of this reserve on May. In late spring, this reserve bursts into life, as summer migrants return in large numbers to establish breeding territories. The soundscape at this site through the spring is quite remarkable and it is at its most diverse in May, when a large number of species are present. This year was no exception and I employed a number of field recording techniques to secure some wonderful audio at this very special reserve. Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
The Vocalizations of Green Woodpecker; Autumn Owls on the Västerbotten Coastline
In this episode of Wild Bird Acoustics, I will present two sound magazines for listener's to enjoy. The first of these deals with one on my favourite species here in Sweden, the European Green Woodpecker. This is a shy, rather retiring bird and they can be difficult to field record as a result. Over the course of 2025 I employed passive recorders with great success in order to get up close and personal with these wonderful birds. The result of this project was some wonderful intimate audio of the species and I have been able to put together a dedicated sound magazine on Green Woodpecker, as a direct result. In the latter half of the episode, I will transport listener's to the Västerbotten coastline in Northern Sweden. Over the course of two weeks there in late September I set myself the task of securing high quality audio of the various owl species present on the tiny island of Hällögern. This proved a rather special experience. A number of rather special moments were captured by my microphones and here I will relay the story of how things unfolded over a wonderful fortnight in a remarkable part of the world... Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
Early Spring in Swedish Woodland; The Tyresta Files #5
In this episode of Wild Bird Acoustics, I take you on a tour of Tyresta National Park, sharing audio from a wide range of species. Given such an incredibly rich habitat, the opportunities for the active field recorder at this site are almost never ending. This pristine woodland habitat could easily occupy me for several years, such is it's scale and remarkably biodiversity. There is always more to discover at this incredible reserve. The more one lifts the lid, the more you begin to realize and wonder at. This park is a seemingly endless treasure trove of discovery and wonder and I have barely scratched the surface of this vast swathe of woodland habitat. Join me for a auditory tour and immerse yourself in the sounds on pristine Swedish woodland in early spring... Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
Birch Meadow Voices; The Sandemar Files #3
In this episode we return to Sandemar Reserve to listen to the wonderful sounds of the site in late spring, a time when this reserve is bursting with life. In this episode we explore the sounds of the flooded coastal meadow at this incredible location and listen to some remarkable recordings of various bird species. Here on these wet grasslands, several species of wader return to breed each year and in 2025 I recorded some incredible audio by means of passive recording. Join me as I share this intimate audio, often at incredible close quarters, in order to gain a glimpse into the secret world of breeding wader species. During the course of the month, some remarkable sequences of audio were recorded, offering a window into the incredible scenes that take place in this habitat under cover of darkness, as well as revealing remarkable early morning drama due to the presence of predatory bird species at the reserve. Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
An Interview with Dave Boyle; The Seabirds of Chatham Island; Part 2
Lying 700km east of New Zealand, in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, lie the Chatham Islands. This far flung location is one of the finest locations in the world for breeding seasbirds. Sadly, many of them are now critically endangered. I could not pass up the opportunity of talking to Dave Boyle, on of the Chatham Island Taiko Trust team. Over the past decade or so, Dave has been working tirelessly with Seabirds on these islands and has made serious efforts to field record many of them. He was king enough to come on to the podcast and share some quite remarkable recordings of a wide range of seabird species. Many of these recording are of very high quality and some of them may contain calls that are previously unrecorded. Over the course of two episodes, Dave takes us into the hidden world of breeding seabirds in the Pacific Ocean, shares his expansice knowledge of these species and talks about the work being carried out with regard to one of the world rarest seabird species, the Chatham Island Taiko. This long interview was broken down into two episodes, due to the long running time and large number of field recordings. Headphones Recommended! https://www.taiko.org.nz/ Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
An Interview with Dave Boyle; The Seabirds of Chatham Island; Part 1
Lying 700km east of New Zealand, in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, lie the Chatham Islands. This far flung location is one of the finest locations in the world for breeding seasbirds. Sadly, many of them are now critically endangered. I could not pass up the opportunity of talking to Dave Boyle, on of the Chatham Island Taiko Trust team. Over the past decade or so, Dave has been working tirelessly with Seabirds on these islands and has made serious efforts to field record many of them. He was king enough to come on to the podcast and share some quite remarkable recordings of a wide range of seabird species. Many of these recording are of very high quality and some of them may contain calls that are previously unrecorded. Over the course of two episodes, Dave takes us into the hidden world of breeding seabirds in the Pacific Ocean, shares his expansice knowledge of these species and talks about the work being carried out with regard to one of the world rarest seabird species, the Chatham Island Taiko. This long interview was broken down into two episodes, due to the long running time and large number of field recordings. Headphones Recommended! https://www.taiko.org.nz/ Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
Nedre Kärret; Voices from a Forest Wetland; The Tyresta Files #4
Tucked away, deep inside the ancient woodlands that make up Tyresta National Park, lies one of many small wetlands, hidden in the interior of this vast forest reserve. This small marsh is called Nedre Kärret and lies in a natural ampitheatre, surrounded by high outcrops of rock and pristine spruce forest. Having honed in on this micro habitat, I decided to attempt to uncover the birds present day and night, using a combination of active and passive recording techniques. The wetland is in constant flux, with European Beaver the architects of this hidden world, creating breeding habitat for a multitude of bird species by way of their ceaseless activities. In this episode I will lift the curtain an this magical little wetland and invite you, the listener, to join me.... Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
Summer Field Recording at Västerbotten; The Hällögern Files #2
Late summer is a fantastic time to be in the far north of Sweden. In July 2024 I spent a month on the tiny island of Hällögern, field recording the many breeding species present on the island. This proved to be an overwhelming success. Because I had such a generous amount of time available to me, I was able to observe the birds carefully at the location, often managing to get my microphones into optimal positions. The result was a large amount of extremely high quality audio, which I will be sharing with listeners in this episode. This episode will transport you to the coast of Västerbotten in summer and allow full immersion into this wonderful part of the world.. Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
Where Meadows Breathe and Woodlands Sing; The Sandemar Files #2
Sandemar Reserve, located just southeast of Stockholm City, is a wonderful place to record birds. My favourite month at this site is undoubtedly May, when the spring floodgates are opened and migrant bird species return in the large numbers. It is at this time of year that waves of summer migrants arrive on the coastline of Sweden. This is an exciting time to be in the field. Throughout the entire month, I devoted myself to this this remarkable site, arriving at dawn to actively record returning migrant species. In addition to the large amount of time spent actively recording at the site, I also made great efforts to carefully place automated recorders in several areas, in the hope of uncovering audio of some of the more secretive species at this site. The result was a treasure trove of delightful results, audio of a wide range of species, in a number of different habitats. Join me at Wild Bird Acoustics as I share the audio with listeners... Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
Whispers over the Water; The Tyresta Files #3
Sweden is world famous for its stunning vista of remote freshwater lakes, lined with coniferous forest. Happily, this scene is still very much a reality in the modern day. At Tyresta National Park, a stones throw from Stockholm City, lie a number of freshwater lakes and in the spring of 2024, I was drawn to them once again. Having undertaken a major field recording project at the park, I wanted to uncover the secrets of the lakes within the park. I was very much focused on field recording of one of Sweden's most iconic sounds, the breeding display of Black-throated Diver. This endeavour proved not to be as simple as I had anticipated, but there were some wonderful moments along the way, as I tried to get to grips with my target species. Did I succeed in the end? Join me in this episode of Wild Bird Acoustics in order to find out... Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
Microphones in the Moss; The Tyresta Files #2
March in Sweden is a period when resident species begin to become active after a long winter here in Sweden and woodland habitats begin to ring with the sounds of singing birds once again. In 2025 I visited Tyresta National Park throughout the early Spring period in order to record these resident species, before the return of summer migrants. I was interested in recording the soundscape within woodland before it became saturated with the song of a wider range of species. In effect, the sound of woodland in early spring is rather pure and it is an excellent time to obtain high quality recording of several special species, such as Black Woodpecker and Red Crossbill. I found a wonderful soundscape to record within the park, as I traversed this massive tract of woodland in search of birds. The results of this intensive sound recording project were quite wonderful and surpassed my own expectations. In this episode, I share recordings from that early spring period, just before most migrants return to Sweden. Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
Songs from the Solstice; The Hällögern Files #1
Northern Sweden is a field recorders dream and a place I return to at every given opportunity. Each summer, I return in order to relax and spend time in nature, allowing the sounds of the natural world to seep into my very being. It is an incredibly relaxing place and one I wish to share with other's. Places like this are increasingly rare in the modern world... In this episode I present the audio I collected over the course of July 2025 from the tiny island of Hällögern. Most of the month was spent recording various breeding species, often watching them for long periods in order to figure out where best to deploy my recording rigs. Having an abundance of time on my hands was a rare gift and the result was some rather special audio. This will be the first of a number of episodes where I share audio from that particular period on the island and I hope that listeners will enjoy every strophe of it... Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
Beneath the Blossoms; The Sandemar Files #1
In this episode I present a feature length sound magazine, put together with audio from a field recording project carried out at Sandemar Reserve in Sweden. In May 2025, I decided to concentrate heavily on this incredible site, using both active and passive methods of recording. A great deal of time was spent at the site at a time when the reserve is at it's busiest. Sandemar Reserve is an area that I have become extremely familiar with over the years and I have now birded regularly at the site for over twenty years. Over that entire period, the site has continually thrown up surprises. From my experiences here, I knew that a focused field recording project though the month of May would result in a large amount of remarkable audio. Over the course of a month I visited the reserve many times, greatly enjoying the sounds of this incredible area, which is blessed with a multitude of different habitats. As migrants began to stream through the area and breeding species began to take up territories, the soundscape became more and more varied. Some rather special local species were among them, along with a few surprises. The more I drilled down, the more I uncovered... Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
The Vocalizations of Eurasian Jay; The VisMig Files #1
In this episode, Wild Bird Acoustics presents a brace of sound magazines for your enjoyment. The first of these, The Vocalizations of Eurasian Jay, is an intimate look at a wonderful woodland species. This characterful corvid has a fascinating range of calls and a quite remarkable proclivity for mimicry. This charming species has fascinated me for some time. Spending a large amount of time in woodland habitat over the course of spring 2025 has finally allowed me to collect enough quality audio of Eurasian Jay to put together a dedicated sound magazine, detailing the voice and habits of this endearing, intelligent corvid. Regarding the second half of this episode, we will travel northward to the coastal Västerbotten once again and sample the sounds of Autumn. At this remarkable location each year, migrant birds move southwards, directly past my listening station on the island of Hällögern. Join me as I share some of the passive recording highlights from the island of Hällögern... Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
Spring Notes from Ågesta Dawn; The NocMig Files
In this episode I present two sound magazines for listeners. The first of these concerns a single day at Ågesta Reserve, just south of Stockholm City. I visited the reserve on 10th May 2025 and spent a wonderful morning actively recording a large amount of species at the site, moving from one bird to the next, simply enjoying the rich and varied birdlife at the site. On the day, the place was alive with birds, all of which were extremely vocal and I secured a large amount of wonderful audio in this single visit. On days such as this, it is simply incredible to be in the field, here in Sweden. The second sound magazine should appeal to all those who regularly tune in to Wild Bird Acoustics and are interested in nocturnal migration. Here I discuss some of the better audio recordings I managed over the course of spring 2025 at my main listening station at Landsort, Sweden. 2025 was an extremely productive season of spring migration and I have plenty of interesting audio to share. Join me as I lift the veil on nocturnal bird migration over the Stockholm Archipelago. Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
Early Spring in Primeval Swedish Forest; The Tyresta Files #1
Woodland habitat is something I have wanted to drill down into for many years now and Sweden is blessed with some truly wonderful forest habitat. After a great deal of careful thought and deliberation over the course of the winter, I eventually decided to drill down into the sounds of woodland over the course of early spring. A major field recording project was planned and executed as a result and it proved a truly magical experience. Tyresta National Park boasts one of the largest coniferous old-growth forests in southern Sweden and extends over a vast area of over 5,000 hectares. Stands of ancient Scots Pine dominate the high interior, some of the trees being aged at over 400 years old. Norwegian Spruce dominates the lower ground in the park, whilst deciduous tree species like Aspen, Birch, Beech and Alder also contribute to the diverse woodland. The ancient old growth woodland is an incredibly diverse habitat for all kinds of flora and fauna and it is filled with birds. In the spring of 2024 I simply lost myself along moss and lichen strewn trails in this wonderful forest, field recording all I came across. It was a truly a magical experience. The park is wonderfully quiet as a general rule and a sound recorders dream to work within. The first few weeks inside the park proved an unforgettable experience as it slowly revealed its secrets to me. By means of active and passive recording, I built up an wonderful library of recordings. In this episode, I share the beginnings of my experiences, during the early spring period at the park, in 2025. Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
July in Northern Sweden; Nocturnal Recording at Sandemar Reserve
In this, the finale of the second season, we take an initial trip to Västerbotten, for a relaxing selection of recordings from the coastline in July. I wanted to share some particularly nice audio with listeners in this finale. Along the coastline of Northern Sweden is where I enjoy field recording the most and I thought this would be an apt way to begin the final episode of this second season.. The main sound magazine documents an incredible overnight trip to Sandemar Reserve. I knew when I was putting this sound magaizine together, that it contained some rather special audio. The night in question was quite magical and has remained fresh in my memory, ever since. This was simply a case of saving the best until last and I hope you enjoy this audio experience... The Grand Finale; See you all in 2026 for Season 3! Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
The Long Black Veil; Uncovering the Secret World of Tengmalm's Owl
In this episode, the first sound magazine concerns a selection of recordings if diurnal calls at Hällögern, Sweden. Join me as I share audio recordings of some wonderful species in the far north of Sweden. This audio appetizer serves as a starter, in order to warm your ears for the main course... The main feature describes my journey uncovering the hidden migration of a rather special species along the Baltic coastline of Northern Sweden. Tengmalm's Owl is a species I dreamed about as a young birder. Over the course of the last few years, sound recording at night, along the coast of Västerbotten in Sweden, has allowed me a precious glimpse into the wonderful world of one of Northern Europe's most iconic species. The journey I have enjoyed with regard to this particular species has been a wonderful personal experience for me. Join me as I talk you through a voyage of birding discovery, from the first spark of personal joy, when a single call rang out through the darkness, to the resulting unravelling of the hidden world of a very special species... Leave a comment here.... Support the show Subscibe to Wild Bird Acoustics here; https://wildbirdacoustics.buzzsprout.com Lots more audio related material here at my long running website; https://blogbirder.blogspot.com/
