Nature is okay, if you like that sort of thing. But for someone used to the quiet of a city neighborhood, nature can seem pretty noisy. And messy. And annoying—have you ever been to the ocean shore? At first it’s exciting and beautiful, but then the waves keep crashing and crashing and crashing. . . . It can get on your nerves.
Don’t get me wrong—regular readers know that I am an acute observer of urban nature. And today I can’t wait to share a staggering new discovery from out there in the actual wild:
Elk bugling!
My friend Linda e-mailed that she and her husband would be away for the weekend at an “elk-bugling event” in Utah. She wrote, “They strap the bugle to the elk’s horns and as the elk shake to get the things off their heads, the wind blows through the bugle and makes delightful big-band noises until the bugle eventually falls off. Following the falling off, children run through the meadows picking up the bugles—kind of like an Easter egg hunt.”
Incredible! Right away, I wanted to see this for myself. I knew she was kidding about the children, but the rest sounded plausible.
Turns out not. Linda confessed: “Actually, bugling is the sound elk make around twilight when they’re calling their sweethearts to come and cavort. At an elk-bugling event, people with special whistles (or, I suppose, just special talents) blow them, and before long, the elk respond with their own moo-ey, creaky, surreal-sounding love songs.” She included a link to a video.
If you can watch this and not be moved by the haunted yearnings of those giant beasts, well, you might be a good candidate for a couple of freelance jobs coming up on our schedule. (Note: if you’re at the office, you might want to turn down the volume. If you decide not to and nobody dials 911, consider questioning your office emergency procedures.)
Me? I’m going to bookmark the video for viewing the next time an author writes something like (I'm not making this up) “Please stet—I was being intentionally obscure.”
Thanks for the video. I've watched them in the wild and tried to learn how to bugle but can't quite capture the sound. My son has it down plus the cow "answer" and the calf bugle. That's a great video, especially if you haven't seen them in the wild.
Posted by: Brian | 09/20/2010 at 12:00 PM
Seriously, whoa! LOL!
And don't the elks sound somewhat like blue or gray whales sounding under the ocean?
Thanks for sharing the video.
Posted by: Nancy Hogan | 09/20/2010 at 01:08 PM