A portrait of nature along the Niobrara River

This episode celebrates the sounds, sights, and happenings of nature along Nebraska’s Niobrara River. A young great horned owl screeches in the night and coyotes howl from the pine-covered hillsides, as if Halloween has come early to this September forest. We hear an eastern screech-owl, learn about the abundant plant and bird life of riparian habitats, and listen to a diverse and mostly unknown (to me) chorus of nighttime insects. This podcast is rich in the natural sounds of the Niobrara River night. In the year ahead, I’m excited to continue producing more place-based portraits featuring birdsong and other natural sounds—so if you have thoughts on this approach, let me know! This story begins with my whistled imitation of an eastern screech-owl, immediately followed by the real eastern screech-owl and the nighttime insect sounds along the river. Other recordings featured in this episode include the screams of a suspected juvenile great horned owl, nocturnal coyote music, and more nighttime insect sounds, all along the Niobrara River. I also feature a yellow-breasted chat song that I recorded along the Missouri River in Montana. Find the written version of this story, plus photos, here: https://wildwithnature.com/2023/10/31/niobrara-river-nature/