Noisy by Nature
Australian nature is full of strange, surprising and sometimes silly sounds. From cicadas that sound like sprinklers to moaning mutton birds, there are heaps of weird noises to discover. Join host and nature lover, Ann, as we use our ears to listen to the different sounds that Australian nature makes. Along the way we’ll find out some fun facts and train little ears to listen to the chorus of calls that make up the natural world around us.
Episodes
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Chattering bilbies
Tonight, Ann is off on a desert adventure – it is very sandy and there are lots of grass trees and glowing ghost gums. Dig, dig, dig. Who is that scratching and sniffing with their strong claws?
Chirping ringtail possums
Ann is very excited – it's boardgame night with her friends... but, who is that running along the roof with sharp little claws?
Screeching spectacled flying foxes
In Curtain Fig National Park, Ann can hear someone screeching and chatting over breakfast. It is someone wearing glasses!
Hooting powerful owls
Away from the human noise of Melbourne, Ann finds some peace in a thick pine forest. But, not for long. Someone is calling out from the trees – announcing that breakfast has been served.
Giggling red-eyed tree frogs
It's drip, drip, dripping with rain in the rainforest - but then it stop. Ann tries to take off her rainjacket. Ooops, she’s stuck. Who is that laughing at her nearby?
Noisy by Night special episodes coming soon!
When us humans are getting ready to go to sleep at night – a lot of animals are just waking up.
Rasping kangaroo joeys
Ann is hoping to spot a baby with long legs and ears - who might tumble out of a pouch. But, what is that noise? It sounds a bit like a sheep, but there are no farms around here.
Zapping crocodile hatchlings
Today, Ann is looking for buried treasure - but it's not gold or jewels that she's hoping to find. But eggs!
Begging gannet chicks
Ann is off to join a big family, enjoying a get together on the beach. But there's no surfing, beach cricket or picnic rugs here. There is one very hungry baby though - and it's noisily putting in its lunch order.
Squabbling corella chicks
Ann is hiking through Kalbarri National Park, WA, and there's a family out for brunch - but why is that little one making such a loud, persistent noise?
Squeaking sea turtle hatchlings
Ann is going for a late afternoon stroll along an island when she sees that someone has been building a sand castle - but there's no towers, or moat or draw bridge. Ahhh, it's not a sand castle, but a nest. She takes a listen to the eggs inside, where the babies are just starting to hatch.
Noi-SEA—Humming Continental Shelf
Ann is off on an adventure with her friend Christine – they are going to listen to all the animals that live on a shelf. No, not a kitchen shelf, but a huge underwater rock formation.
Noi-SEA—Bellowing Bremer Sub-Basin
Ann is on a boat, 50km off the coast of WA – headed to the Bremer Sub-Basin, which is home to apex predators.
Noi-SEA—Crunching Coral Reef
Today, Ann has on her stinger suit and is going scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef with Juan Carlos Azofeifa-Solano.
Noi-SEA—Crackling Giant Kelp Forest
Is that mermaid hair floating in Fortescue Bay, Tasmania? Ah, no, it’s the fronds of a giant kelp forests. Ann and her friend Leah Barclay dive under the water to explore.
Noi-SEA—Singing Swan River
Ann is kayaking on the Swan River in Perth with her friend Miles Parsons – they drop the hydrophone to listen to the animals under the water.
Special underwater episodes coming soon!
Hello, Ann Jones here, your resident noisy by nature nerd. There are some places that are much harder to get to, and animals that only live under the water. What sounds do they make? Grab your snorkel, mask and your flippers and get ready to take your listening ears underwater this World Oceans Day, Saturday, June the 8th, only on the Noisy by Nature podcast.
Squeaking Ghost Bats
Right now, Ann is in an ancient maze - Purnululu National Park. She spies a deep crevice and hears some very strange sounds coming from the dark inside. Are those... ghosts?
Hissing Rhinoceros Beetles
Ann is taking an evening stroll in Darwin when something lands on her shirt. It has horns, very sticky feet and is making a loud hiss.
Chattering Providence Petrels
Today, Ann is exploring an island way off the NSW coast. Someone is coming in to land – and not very gracefully. It’s a bird that has flown a very long way to be here.
Growling Green and Gold Frogs
Ann is enjoying spotting lots of birds in a special hide on the Tamar Island Wetlands, when she hears a song that is definitely not a bird. Someone is calling out while they bask in the sunshine, decked out in bright green with a gold stripe.
Crooning Gerygones
Ann is taking a break from her walk by a big, wide river when she hears someone singing a very pretty song from the eucalypts above. It’s showing off lots of different melodies.
Squabbling Little Red Flying Foxes
Down by a creek, Ann is filling up her billy to make a camp dinner when she hears a loud cry. But it’s not one someone, but lots of someones, just waking up and having their breakfast.
Cooing Rock Doves
Ann is getting ready to swim in a pool in Adelaide, when – splat! Someone’s poo lands right near her foot, shot from a ledge just above her.
Bleating Tree Frogs
Right now, Ann is helping on her friend’s farm when she steps in some squelchy mud by the dam. There’s someone who loves the mud so much, they’re singing.
Meowing Green Catbirds
Ann's crossing a suspension bridge across a creek in the national park, when she hears a cat lost up a tree. She follows the loud noise to discover that it isn’t a cat at all.
Crunching Quokkas
Today, Ann is exploring Rottnest Island by bike. What was that rustling? There, munching away is a giant rat... Oh, wait. That’s not a rat, but the animal Rottnest is famous for.
Cracking Whipbirds
On the way to explore some ancient caves in Lamington National Park, Ann hears a whip crack. But, there aren’t any farms around here. There it is again – and this time, there’s an answer.
Buzzing Houseflies
Ann is off to a birthday party but when she gets there she finds some unwanted guests – helping themselves to all the yummy food! Shoo!
Lyrical Lemon-bellied Flyrobins
Before dawn, Ann is woken by a strange call outside her tent. Who can that be? As she tries to solve the mystery, the song changes.
Laughing Northern Tree Frogs
It is the end of a hot day and Ann has been admiring some waterfalls in WA. Rumble! Crack! A storm is coming but after she slips in the wet she hears someone laughing in the tree above.
Shrieking Sooty Owls
Ann has her head torch on and is off to discover animals that wake up when the sun goes down in the Blue Mountains. Soon she spies someone with big, round eyes and a heart-shaped face.
Fanning Frilled Neck Lizards
It is late afternoon in Kakadu National Park and Ann is getting changed to have a dip to cool off. But someone who is famous for its fancy frill gives her a surprise.
Flouncing Fur Seals
Ann is on a boat, wearing lots of warm clothes because it is very cold off the coast of Tasmania. She's snapping the sites with her camera, and spots a family making a huge racket on the shore.
Caroling Currawongs
In the middle of Sydney, Ann is walking through Hyde Park to visit the Anzac Memorial. Along the way she hears a loud sound from the branches above as someone snacks on figs.
Prattling Pelicans
Ann has her binoculars, checklist and a pencil – she's in full birding mode in WA. She soon spies a huge bird, preparing for a water landing.
Thumping Red Kangaroos
It is early in the morning and Ann is on her way to walk around Uluru before it gets too hot. She is admiring the red dirt when she sees a red rock scratching itself. Hang on… that's not a rock, but the world's largest marsupial.
New Noisy is on the way!
Hello sound detectives! It’s Ann here, and I’ve got some news for you.I’ve been hard at work tracking down some of my favourite Aussie nature noises, and I’m happy to say that we’re going to have ten brand new episodes of Noisy by Nature starting next Tuesday!
Snarling Saltwater Crocodiles
Ann is using her binoculars to try and spot someone who is very good at camouflage along the Ord River in WA. She's glad to be safe in a boat - as these animals have the world's strongest bite.
Whining Mosquitoes
It's a lovely evening and Ann has set up her tent next to a nice peaceful lake at Mungo Brush in NSW. She's relaxing by the fire when the high-pitched buzzing of an uninvited guest ruins the mood.
Hissing Carpet Pythons
Ann is hard at work on a farm near Glen Innes, helping to feed all the animals. She reaches for a hose to top up some water but - ooops! That is not a hose, but someone sunbaking.
Blipping Masked Lapwings
Ann is finding a good spot on the sideline at an AFL match in Tasmania. Suddenly, some very vocal parents start making a bit of a racket.
Yawping Wombats
It is a hot day on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, so Ann stops for a drink. Someone pushes through the bushes and starts using their jaws and their claws to work on their special underground house.
Startling Crested Pigeons
Ann is trying to find the perfect picnic spot in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne/Naarm. Suddenly, an alarm goes off - but it isn't coming from a car or a building, but from some animals on the move.
Tooting Mountain Frogs
As she hikes up through ancient Gondwana rainforest, Ann hears a rude noise. Then, she realises it's not someone feeling a bit gassy - but rather a parent getting cosy in an underground bedroom.
Pipping Pied Oystercatchers
It is a warm, sunny day and Ann is off to the beach. On the sand, playing chase with the waves, a family is hunting for a seafood lunch - even trying to hammer open some shells.
Rasping Common Garden Katydids
At a backyard barbecue in Brisbane, Ann sees an interesting shaped leaf – making a very funny noise. But, this leaf is actually an animal in disguise that can even change colour.
Rumbling Southern Cassowaries
Ann is on the look out in Tropical North Queensland – for something blue. It lives in the rainforest, is related to the dinosaurs and has a very looooow call.
Clever Sulphur-crested Cockatoos
We’re back with a brand new suBIRDban mini season of Noisy by Nature, featuring some of the feathered friends that thrive in our towns and suburbs. First up, we’ve got a cheeky and clever cockatoo who loves to open rubbish bins, looking for a snack.
Greedy Seagulls
After a day at the beach, Ann’s stomach is growling for some tasty fish and chips. As she sits down to eat them though, a flock of white birds starts to get a bit too close for comfort. They’re trying to steal her chips!
Flitting Fairy Wrens
Ann’s mowing the lawn after a day in the garden and is about to be rewarded with some pretty superb visitors. Her garden is a haven for local birds, who love to visit after she’s cut the grass for a tasty, buggy snack.
Persistent Pacific Koels
Have you ever been woken up in the middle of the night by a haunting bird call? It could be the bird featured in this episode. Ann’s awake at dawn to listen to all the native birds at her friend’s place, but there’s one visitor she wasn’t quite expecting.
Raucous Rainbow Lorikeets
It’s time for an adventure, with Ann at the zoo! Our sound detective is on a mission, using her ears to try and find the elephants. But the hollering chimpanzees and a very loud native parrot are making it harder than it should be.
Why do animals have spots, stripes and scales?
While you're waiting for new episodes of Noisy by Nature, Ann has something special for you! Animals come in all shapes and sizes, and colours and patterns! But have you ever wondered why? Ann camouflages with Dr Nij for a new episode of Imagine This, to figure out why giraffes have spots, zebras have stripes and chameleons change colour.
Introducing - Nature Track
Whilst you're waiting for more episodes of Noisy by Nature, Ann has a new podcast for you. It's called Nature Track. Nature Track opens a window on the beautiful sounds of the Australian wilderness. There's no music or talking, so these long, uninterrupted soundscapes are the perfect relaxing soundtrack for homework, play or rest. Each unique track is carefully recorded on locati
Noisy Yarns
Ann is meeting up with Rudi from Little Yarns for a bushwalk on Dharawal Country. Together they’re listening to Country and trying their best to copy the sounds of the loud locals – a whipbird, clicking froglets, a plover and something green that makes a surprising sound. Join in for a Noisy Yarn!
Parading Little Penguins
Ann is on an island not far off the coast Victoria, walking along by the ocean at the bottom of some cliffs. There are lots of holes or tunnels in some of the grassy hills… What could they be?They are penguin burrows! But where are the penguins? Ann waits patiently by the beach, and a little penguin pops up out of the waves and starts waddling up the beach. Oh and another one, an
Chorusing Froglets
Ann is in her friends’ backyard, creeping slowing around a pond, trying to hear who might live there. A currawong sings in the neighbour’s tree. Ann hears a little croaking sound. It gets louder and louder… And some other familiar croaks join in. It’s a croaking chorus, led by the common eastern froglet!
Soaring Wedge-tailed Eagles
Ann is strolling on Wadawurrung Country, listening to all of the different calls of small and medium sized birds. She’s comes to a lake when a then a strange sound floats in the wind. It’s sounds like like a cry, and it might be coming from waaaaay up in the sky. Ann looks up and sees Australia’s largest raptor - a bird of prey - the Wedge-tailed Eagle riding the thermals!
Grumbling Bettongs
Ann is on her way to a group bird-watching walk through the Tasmanian bush. There are so many nature sounds, a Tasmanian raven, a wattlebird, and was that flash of pink a robin? But Ann’s running late and can’t stop to find out – BUT WAIT that was a very strange sound. It was kind of a hissing or grunting sound. It’s a Bettong! Also called rat-kangaroos!
Bellowing Cane Toads
It’s night-time, and Ann is out with her torch listening really hard for frogs. But, there is another sound that is distracting her and It’s so loud that she will never be able to hear anything else. Ann spots the loud sound maker with her torch. It’s round, and brown with knobbly bits all over it, and two big bulging eyes on the top of it. Is it a frog? Oh no… it’s a cane toad,
Cooeeing Eastern Curlews
Ann is walking along a muddy wetland, with some black and white birds standing out in the shallow water. Ann can hear insects, clicking crabs and some birds piping away when a skinny brown bird with a loooong beak flies down onto the mudflat. It’s an eastern curlew arriving from the other side of the world!
Yipping Sugar Gliders
It’s the late afternoon and Ann is walking through a forest of eucalypts after having a picnic with her friends. Ann’s heading back to the carpark when suddenly there is a high-pitched ‘yip’ sound somewhere above! What was that… WOW a little animal flies from one tree to the next.. It’s a sugar glider!
Bopping Bowerbirds
Ann is in a park near the ocean, when she sees something… very odd. It’s like the Sydney opera house, but made out of twigs! What could it be? It’s got lots of blue bits and pieces around it, plus a bit of onion skin and some flowers - they’re all scattered around like washing on the bedroom floor. AH! It’s a bower – that means a bowerbird must be close by.
Howling Dingoes
Ann is camping in the desert. The sun is just setting when she hears some howling! Is it a dog? A wolf? How did it get out here in the middle of the desert? It must be a dingo! “OWWWWWWWWWW”. Hmm, are dingoes dogs? And are they an Australian animal?
Laughing Kookaburras
It’s early morning and Ann is walking along the Murray River, listening to the gentle sound of the water flowing past. Oh… it sounds like someone is laughing at that kangaroo? Or are they laughing at Ann? The laughing sound is coming from higher up in the river red gum, so it surely can’t be a person. What could be laughing, high up in that tree?
Your Fantastic Frogs
You noisy nature narrators have been so busy that we had to make another bonus episode full of your nature noises. This time we’ve got croaking, bonking, ribbetting, mooaaaning and more – it’s your fantastic frog sounds!Keep sending us your awesome audio at ABC Kids listen, and we've got some great news too, a brand new season of Noisy by Nature will be out very soon.
Your babbling birds
We called and you answered! So many of you noisy nature narrators have been sending in recordings from all across the country, so here is our first bonus episode of your nature noises. From rainbow lorikeets to kookaburras, black kites to cockatoos, it's beautiful, babbling birds!
Honking Ibis
This special season is all about our nosiest neighbours! The creatures and critters that have made a home in our cities, towns and suburbs. One bird in particular has been making a lot of noise, and a bit of a mess rummaging through some rubbish bins looking for food. It’s an Ibis, and now we know why it has the nickname, bin chicken.
Croaking Green Tree Frogs
It’s a hot and steamy day, and after going to the pool Ann’s busting to get home to go to the loo. But when she arrives there’s something in the toilet! It’s green, with big yellow eyes… It’s a green tree frog. But it definitely doesn’t go galumph. Or ladedadeda!
Cackling Brush-tailed Possums
After kicking the footy in the park, Ann hears a strange noise and spies something running along a tree branch. It’s fluffy, has a long brown tail and just jumped onto her friends’ roof! Do you know what it could be?
Squeaking Asian Geckos
Up in The Top End, Ann’s settling in for a relaxing evening when suddenly she hears not one, not two but lots of squeaking INSIDE her room. Is it a cricket? Maybe a mouse? Or something else that is camouflaged against the wall?
Yammering Noisy Miners
Finishing off our special suburban sounds season, we’re outside for a spot of gardening. Ann’s doing some pruning and listening to all the birds in the trees, when all of a sudden a group of small grey birds start screeching. They are so noisy by nature, that noisy is even in their name!
Lend us your ears!
Frogs, ravens, cicadas... lend us your ears! While you wait for new episodes of Noisy by Nature, Ann needs your help to find out about the amazing nature noises in your very own backyard. Take a listen to find out more, and email your audio to abckidslisten@abc.net.au!
Quacking Frogs
Ann is squelching her way through a swamp looking for frogs. There's some tooting coots, splashing wood ducks, and some very squelchy mud. But wait… there’s some short low moaning sounds coming from the reeds. Yes, Ann’s found a moaning frog – it’s singing for a mate!
Squalling Eastern Quolls
Ann is walking through some special woodlands, with the moon high in the sky. She is using her ears to try and hear a special mammal that lives here. Can you hear the song of a currawong that should be in bed? Oh... what’s that growly sound? Could it be... yes! It’s an eastern quoll, and it’s not alone.
Chiming Crimson Rosellas
Ann is heading to the beach to fly her kite, but walking through the scrub she sees a flash of bright red. What could it be? Then, a beautiful chiming bird song calls from one of the trees. Ann knows just what it is! A crimson rosella, one of Ann’s favourite birds.
Whirring Crickets
It’s a perfect sunny day for Ann to watch her friends play cricket at the oval, and there are so many interesting nature noises to listen to. There are some magpies warbling in the gum trees, and dogs and bikes going past on the path - Ann is even listening to the barbeque sizzling. But wait… There’s a new sound coming from the ground. Oh WOW, there are crickets whirring at the c
Peeping Microbats
On Ann’s friends farm, it's really dry from the drought. But if you use your ears you can still hear some of their sheep out in the paddocks, and maybe a kookaburra laughing as the sun goes down. As the birds go to sleep, Ann is getting ready to listen out for a secretive creature. It’s tiny, and furry, and flies! Oh, do you hear that “peep peep” sound. That’s it, that’s a microb
