Night Insect & Train Soundscapes

Night Insect & Train Soundscapes

When

July 20, 2024    
9:00 pm - 9:45 pm

Where

train tracks
500 Lake Cook Rd. , Deerfield, IL, 60015, Great Lakes

This listening practice happens daily during the week of World Listening Day, at the MD-N train tracks by a water tower (42.15775, -87.84476)— listening to biophonous and anthropogenic night sounds. Sounds of wind, insects (crickets, cicadas), trains (freight, Metra, Amtrak) and other sounds. Sights of fireflies, bats and waxing gibbous moon. Several times I interacted with the soundscape with trumpet.

Notes on listening sessions: The session on 7/15 was interrupted by severe weather sirens and the whoosh of derecho winds rushing through the bridge underpass. The northbound Metra trains (which were longer) were pulled by the engine which was in the front of the train, whereas often the southbound Metra trains in the evening (which had fewer passenger cars) were pushed by the engines which were the last car. On 7/20 there was a full moon, and several people who were on a night walk with flashlights came to the other side of the tracks and said hello.