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Welcome to a tropical African forest in Kenya, a place where nature sings without pause. The stage is Mount Kenya forest in Chogoria, Tharaka Nithi County.

Close your eyes and step into this living concert hall, where every sound is a note in a grand, endless melody.

Above the canopy, bright-feathered birds greet the day. Their songs rise like colorful threads of music, weaving together in playful conversation. Each call answers another, creating harmonies only the forest knows.

Beneath this chorus, cicadas hum with tireless devotion. Their rhythm is steady, like the heartbeat of the forest, grounding every other voice that joins the performance.

The breeze moves gently now, brushing against great leaves and ancient trunks. In its whispers, you can almost hear stories- of rain yet to come, of roots reaching deep into the soil, of life endlessly unfolding.

Together, these voices form a tapestry - birds, insects, animals, and air, the occasional distant motor traffic notwithstanding.

None compete, none dominates. They simply blend, creating a symphony of balance, a music of belonging.

And so, here in this tropical forest, we are reminded: harmony is not just found in silence, but in the coexistence of many voices, all singing at once.

Stay a little longer in our channel if you can. Let the melodies of the forest linger within you - calming, grounding, and alive

CHECK OUT our NATURE SOUNDS vault with 32 episodes and growing weekly.

John Muthuri Makathimo

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The soundscape begins gently, at sunrise.

First you hear the chit-chat-like songs of early riser finches perched on nearby trees to welcome a new day.

The clear whistles of a glossy starlings, their metallic songs bouncing through the air.

Soon, liquid notes of robin-chats join in, curling ribbons of sound through the acacia branches.

In the distance, doves coo softly, their rhythmic hoo-hoo-hoo echoing with a calm, homely tone.

Then bulbuls make an entry into the melodic fray and are soon joined by sunbirds, wagtails and an awesome profusion of so many other resident and migrating birds.

From the tall grasses, a flock of weaver birds burst into chatter, their rapid-fire calls like sparks of yellow energy, punctuated by the occasional harsh cry of the go-away birds

Closer to the homestead, the familiar clucks of free-range chickens cut through the morning symphony.

A proud rooster lets out a bold cock-a-doodle-doo, announcing the day like a village herald. Their soft scratching and low murmurs mingle with the wind's sigh across the field

Not far away, a small flock of sheep adds their voice, gentle bleats rising and falling like a pastoral lullaby

Sometimes they call in unison, sometimes one bleat stands alone, echoing faintly before melting into the seemingly chaotic but joyful birdsong symphony

The sounds overlap-wild and domestic, woven together and creating a soundscape where the Kenyan sky hums with life

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A Scrub Robin settled on a tree next to the one I was sitting under to shield myself from the intensifying mid-morning heat. I had just completed a 3 kilometer nature walk.

I am certain he just wanted my companionship as much as I appreciated his. There were very few other birds in close proximity but the one's present gave a good rating of their melodic offerings.

So it was a slow jam for the next 30 minutes until other ambient noises increased, including a near strike on my friendly Scrub Robin by a Sparrow Hawk.

The Sparrow Hawk had taken full advantage of a passing jet overhead to musk warnings of impending danger by other birds in the vicinity. But the Scrub Robin was super alert, and had time to make an evasive maneuver

A new bird making a sharp and steely sound was the only competition to the Scrub Robin. My stop over was well rewarded but you, my fan should be the judge

Migrating flocks made repeated passes overhead on their way to pastures with more seeds, fruits and whatever else birds eat.

JohnMak

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Streamside Sounds of Kenya's Golden Savannah

It's midday in Kenya's semi-arid Kajiado County, a golden expanse where the sun reigns supreme during the dry seasons

The air shimmers with heat, but here, nestled in the shallow valley, life thrives along a slender life-giving stream

The babble of water grows clearer as small cascades gurgle with the wind current blowing on a east-west trajectory

Along the entire stretch of the riverine acacia thickets, grey-headed Bushshrikes let out fluting, melodic calls, answered by chattering Superb Sterlings preening in the dappled shade

Countless other resident and migrating bird species are present and contribute to the midday soundscape

Huge flies zip past the microphone as if determined to chip in to the rhyme and rhythm.

Tiny frogs peep from damp crevices and a monitor lizard rustles through the rocky riverbank vegetation as it retreats to its hollows

Even at the height of the hot day, the Savannah breathes with resilience. The land may seem baked, but here, by the gentle stream, the songs linger, a cool-like audio thread through the golden silence

This episode is ideal for meditation, nature immersion, or background ambiance - evoking the raw, sun-drenched serenity of Kenya's wild grasslands.

JohnMak

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After midnight, the world exhales into an ethereal beauty - the rain has just tiptoed away, leaving behind a moist hush that clings to the leaves, roof and earth like a secret.

From the thickets, hedges and treetops comes a soft chorus: birds, awakened or stirred by the passing rain, exchange chatty melodies in the dark night.

Their calls are not urgent, but curious, echoing and answering each other like old friends whispering stories under a cloud-subdued ambiance.

Each trill and chirrup seems brighter in the stillness, rising above the steady drip of rainwater from eaves and branches.

The night itself feels cleansed - cool, earthy fragrant, and lightly humming with nocturnal life. The peace is near-perfect , save for the high-pitched whine and pinprick stings of relentless mosquitoes reminding you of your earthly presence.

Yet, even that cannot quite spoil the enchantment of this damp, musical midnight.

JohnMak

Producer

You can watch where these nature sounds are produced in our YouTube channel - @greenswing4271

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Welcome to a serene corner of the earth, where nature speaks in tones both subtle and bold

As the river winds its way through the woody savannah landscape, its steady, flowing current murmurs against the smooth stones, a soft and timeless song of motion and peace

Above the water's lullaby, a vivid tapestry of various bird songs colors the air. The sterling, warblers, sunbirds, thrushes, finches and doves coo from the shadows.

Each call rises and falls like breath from deep within the woods, harmonizing in chorus that seems to slow time itself.

Threaded through it all is the constant, grounding chirr of crickets - their continuous rhythm like a heartbeat, ever - present, ever - steady.

They hum beneath the birdcalls and alongside the river's whisper, anchoring the soundscape with a sense of continuity and calm

There are no sharp edges here, no sudden movements - only the flow, the flutter, the gentle buzz of life in balance

Every sound carries you deeper into relaxation, into a sense of stillness not empty, but alive with quiet energy

Let this vibrant natural symphony wash over you. Breathe deeply.

Let you mind wander like the river, your spirit lift like the birds, and your thoughts settle into the soothing pulse of the crickets.

Let the river carry your thoughts away on the current. This is nature's invitation to rest ----to just be.

JohnMak

Watch where these episodes are recorded on my YouTube channel @greenswing4271

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Immerse yourself in the peaceful ambiance of a riverbank after the rain.

In this episode, you'll hear the soft murmur and rapid current of flowing water, harmonized with melodic calls of woodland birds.

Perfect for relaxation, meditation, sleep or focus; this natural soundscape brings a sense of tranquility wherever you are.

Let the soothing mix of bird song and river flow wash over you and restore your inner calm.

The ground, softened by the storm, drinks in the last drops, clinging to leaves and roots of riverine vegetation.

The river itself, no longer wild with rain, flows broad and smooth, its surface a mirror of clouds and branches only broken by gentle ripples that kiss mossy stones at the shores

The current hums a low contented murmur - a steady voice beneath the world's hush. From the shelter of woods, bird songs emerge in full orchestra, delightful and rhythmic

A sterling calls, its notes rising in spirals that seem to weave with the rivers voice, while the finches, doves, weaver birds and warblers add soft trills as if offering thanks for the rain's providence

The melodies, delicate yet sure, scatter through the air like sunlight breaking through the lingering mist.

All around, the world feels cleansed and renewed - a sanctuary of trees and water, where peace settles as surely as the mist among the riverbank woodlot, and time drifts by as gently as the river's flow

And then the skies open once again, a soft patter on leaves and water growing steadily into an unbroken torrent.

The downpour wraps the landscape in a curtain of sound, as if the world itself exhales

Let the rhythmic rush of the rain carry you, cleansing and infinite, as natures lullaby draws this safari to a close.

JohnMak

Watch amazing nature videos on my YouTube channel @greenswing4271.

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