Six months into my Big Recording Year, I stand at 116 species recorded. I already met my goal of 100 species, but I am continuing my attempts to record species that have evaded me thus far. I’m also trying to get better recordings of some species that have already made the list.

That brings me to a lovely day that I spent at Tilden Regional Park in the East Bay. Nestled in the hills, our walk led us through Redwood Trees and bushes that were full of bird life – a stark contrast to the dwindling activity in the Central Valley. The park was filled with birds such as Wilson’s Warblers, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, and Dark-eyed Juncos.

At one point, a male Black-headed Grosbeak was perched high on a Eucalypsis Tree while singing. I had previously recorded this grosbeak species, but the bird was distant and was barely perceptible among all the other noises the microphone picked up. Today, the park was mostly quiet, and the windshield slipped over my phone largely reduced the wind noise. After a minute of recording, I saved a good take of its pik calls and a quick song that lasted a few seconds.

At the end of our walk, I heard a Swainson’s Thrush singing next to the path. It was so close, and yet I couldn’t locate it in the dense brush. Captivated by its hauntingly beautiful song, I held my breath and hit record. As the recording progressed, I realized that there was a second thrush on the other side of the path. The two thrushes were singing at the same time! There were moments where it sounded like one thrush would start a song and the other would finish it.

My first recording of this species was similar to the grosbeak in that it was far away and barely captured in the recording. But this thrush being so close was not only a boon to my recording goal, it was magical to experience. I could hear how its voice resonated, making it sound larger than life. I heard song elements that I was not accustomed to and was delighted to hear these variations up close. It was a moment that I will treasure as a part of this big year experience.

To read more posts about this challenge, see the dedicated Bird Recording Challenge 2026 web page or click on “Bird Recording Challenge 2026” under “Tags” at the bottom of this post.