Up close at a neighbor's beehive: 45 minutes of buzzing, plus a few moments when the bees took a very personal interest in the mics.
Did you know it takes about twelve bees their entire lives to make a spoonful of honey? Or that bees consume 6 to 8 pounds of honey to create just 1 to 2 pounds of wax? Bees are fascinating, vitally important to the ecosystem, and credited with all sorts of healing benefits.
I’ve learned a ton about them over the years because my wife runs a candle company that uses only natural beeswax from local beekeepers. So when I found out our neighbor had started a beehive of their own, I knew I had to get a microphone on it.
Today’s episode is a stereo recording of that hive. I set up my mics about 12 inches from the entrance and let them roll for around 45 minutes. What you'll hear is the steady, living hum of the colony: bees coming and going, working and hovering, all layered into one constant drone.
Listen closely for the random moments when a few bees decided the mics were a threat and went on the attack. It makes for some surprisingly dramatic moments in an otherwise meditative listen.
Recorded with a Zoom F3 and LOM BasicUchos.
This is Outdoor Sounds.
15 Oct 2026
Watching the Morning Commute
Distant highway traffic drifts across the water in this morning commute capture from a cliffside rental in Osage Beach.
The morning commute.
Not every recording is about untouched wilderness. My rental property in Osage Beach, Missouri, had a great, but distant view of a local highway bridge, so I captured what it sounded like first thing in the morning: the ambient flow of cars and trucks, likely people making their way to work while I sat back and watched from the cliffside.
I’m not sure how many listeners will enjoy the sound of cars in the distance. But it was a defining feature of the property, and a soundscape is a soundscape. Think of it as a kind of white noise: a steady, rolling wash of traffic, softened by distance, with the lake and the early-day atmosphere settled in underneath. If you’ve ever found calm in the hum of a city from a safe remove, this one might surprise you.
Thanks to Lake.com for partnering with me on this trip. Want to discover your next family vacation destination? Visit Lake.com.
Recorded with a Sound Devices MixPre 6 and LOM BasicUchos in ORTF stereo.
This is Outdoor Sounds.
Links
Lake.com
8 Oct 2026
Summer Afternoon Boats on the Lake
Busy midday boat traffic on the Lake of the Ozarks: engines, wakes, and the sounds of a summer afternoon on the water.
Listen in to this capture of busy midday boats enjoying the lake. Recorded during a trip to the Lake of the Ozarks, this episode is all about the energy of a summer afternoon on the water. Speedboats, pontoons, and other watercraft pass by in a near-constant parade, engines rising and fading as they approach and pull away, with wakes slapping against the shoreline in between.
Compared to the quieter dock and evening recordings from this trip, this is the lake at its busiest. It’s a lively, ever-changing soundscape. There’s no solitude here, just the sound of everyone out making the most of a warm day. Put on headphones and let the traffic drift by.
Thanks to Lake.com for partnering with me on this trip. Want to discover your next family vacation destination? Visit Lake.com.
Recorded with a Sound Devices MixPre 6 and LOM BasicUchos in ORTF stereo.
This is Outdoor Sounds.
LinksLake.com
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 63 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
77
Social presence
0
YouTube
63
Engagement
60
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Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Outdoor Sounds
Who hosts Outdoor Sounds?
unknown host the show. Published by Jeff Large.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Outdoor Sounds take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
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