This is bird note.

In July in Southeast Arizona, mid-day temperatures soar above 100 degrees.

A cicada's high-pitched wine adds an edge to the searing heat.

But relief is coming.

The monsoon season begins.

Winds from the south draw tropical moisture northward into the Sonoran desert.

Moist air colliding with intense heat and mountainous terrain breeds epic thunderstorms.

Rainfall rejuvenates the air at land.

Grass grows lush, wildflowers spring forth.

The gullies once dusty, now rush with water, and birds sing.

Casting sparrows have waited for the late summer rains to begin their courtship.

Now the males sing their plaintive phrases almost non-stop.

Spotterized sparrows add their distinctive sputters and trills.

And a rufus-winged sparrow voices its gentle melody.

The summer monsoon refreshes the desert world like a second spring.

The soundscapes featured in today's show were recorded by Gordon Hempton

and provided courtesy of QuietPlanet.com.