Olympic Thrush Tones

by Lang Elliott | Jun 14, 2026 | 19 comments

Olympic Thrush Tones. 23 June 2017, at dawn, near Ozette Lake, Olympic National Park, Washington. Recorded by Lang Elliott. Please wear headphones. Image AI-gen.

Note: The recording featured here is a “3D binaural soundscape”. Please wear headphones for a profound listening experience that will make you think you’re actually out there, immersed in the natural world!

In late June, I visit Olympic National Park and camp near Ozette Lake in the Olympic Peninsula. At the break of dawn, I amble along a trail leading to the Pacific Ocean and encounter an exciting constellation of wild sounds.

Against a backdrop of subtle gurgles from a small stream and the gentle whoosh of a light breeze, two varied thrushes sing loudly from tall hemlocks while others sound off in the distance. Their vibrant, buzzy notes electrify the air. From the understory, a Swainson’s thrush sings prominently, its melodic flute-like notes sliding upward in pitch. A pileated woodpecker drums occasionally far in the distance. A band-tailed pigeon also chimes in, its hollow low-pitched coo-coo, coo-coo adding a pleasing musical element to the low end. And then, to top things off, a Pacific winter wren suddenly bursts forth with its high-pitched, liquid ramble exhilarating the mix.

I rest against the trunk of a towering tree and take in this exquisite blend of sounds—a veritable audio fingerprint of the ancient old growth forests of the Pacific Northwest.

Note: I was very fortunate to get this recording during my rather brief trip to Olympic National Park. I focused my efforts to the Ozette Lake area for one simple reason: due to the flatter landscape, there was far less stream noise to deal with (in more mountainous areas one cannot escape the loud rush of mountain brooks). In this recording, water-music is present, but only the subtle gurgle of a small stream.