Credits

Created by Alli Kenlan, Explore Natural Communities Intern Summer 2017, NatureServe. Narrated by Shak Khavarian.

Bird sounds from Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Pileated Woodpecker (ML 63075), by David S. Herr; Red-Bellied Woodpecker (ML 6845), by Douglas L. Welch; Downy Woodpecker (ML 133134), by Michael J. Andersen; Northern Cardinal (ML 100744), American Crow (100700), Carolina Chickadee (100797), Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) (ML 84808), Tufted Titmouse (ML 94271), Carolina Wren (ML 94253), and American Robin (ML 168300), by Wilbur L. Hershberger.

Bird sounds from xeno-canto.org: Carolina Chickadee, recorded by Chris Parrish, www.xeno-canto.org/15191. Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5.

Other sounds: Small Crowd Applause by Yannick Lemieux (soundbible.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0. Insects and woodpecker drumming by ENC Interns 2017. Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0.

Music: Ragtime Dance, by Scott Joplin (freemusicarchive.org). Public Domain.

Photo: Pileated Woodpecker at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, by Judy Teague, NatureServe. Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0.

References:
Wolf Trap Bird Inventory
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Transcript

Podcast time: 2:34 minutes

[opens with sound of insects and upbeat ragtime music]

[In speaker voice] Good Morning! And welcome to Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts! You're just in time for the show—please silence your phones as the performance begins. You'll need to have a good ear and some concentration to catch all of these songs.

[audience applause]

Shhh! The opening number is starting!

Up first is a chorus of some of the most common birds in the park. Listen for the "peter peter peter" of the tufted titmouse [tufted titmouse call] and the robin's cheery whistle [American robin call]. Now that's a rockin' robin! You can also hear the northern cardinal, the most popular state bird! [northern cardinal call]

Coming on next is the Carolina chickadee, performing his new hit single, "Chickadee-dee-dee”! [Carolina chickadee call] He may be little and cute, but he's not a chick anymore!

Up next is the--[American crow call] Oh, it's the American crows! How did they get in here? Somebody pull the curtain! [crows stop]

Right, coming up now we have an aria by the Carolina wren. [Carolina wren call] This shy bird might be hard to spot in the forest, but that soprano voice sure isn't! Talk about powerhouse lungs!

[audience applause]

That wraps up our opening number of the most common birds you'll hear at Wolf Trap!

Now it’s time for the main event: Woodthrush and the Woodpeckers! [applause]

Backup vocals by:

The downy woodpecker [downy woodpecker call]

The red-bellied woodpecker [red-bellied woodpecker call]

The northern flicker [northern flicker call]

And, the pileated woodpecker! [pileated woodpecker call]

This talented bunch can sing, and play the drums! [various woodpeckers drumming]

Last but not least, lead vocals by the beautiful and talented, wood thrush! [wood thrush song, joined by woodpecker drumming and calls]

[audience applause]

Please enjoy the show at Wolf Trap, presented every spring and summer morning for those early birds out there!

[sound of insects, birds chirping]

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