OK I confess; I love all wildlife sounds - not just birdsong (WildlifeSoundsBob just wasn't that catchy!)

Whilst out this morning recording the dawn chorus (more on that later) I was lucky enough to catch this startled male Roe before he pronged off protesting.

Startled Roebuck

Dawn on May Day, 2016. The first of a couple of extracts from the dawn chorus recorded in a woodland in Dorset.  A beautiful morning with lots of birds doing their best to make their mark!

May Day Dawn Chorus (extract)

Two glorious songsters at once - what a treat!  This Nightingale is only passing through and so really is only warming up here, perhaps spurred on by the nearby Blackbird.  There's even a train too (always is at Corfe)!

Photo: James Ashington

Nightingale vs Blackbird

Quite a few species on this atmospheric snapshot of a wonderful reserve, including the bird I went there to record - the purring Turtle Dove.

Early morning; early summer; enjoy!

Photo: James Ashington

Martin Down NNR - summer soundscape

Orthoptera are very sensitive to temperature change; and this can be heard in their song which changes in speed with the air temperature. I started this recording with the cricket in full sunshine, then a cloud passed over and you can hear the song slowing down. Towards the end of this recording a slight breeze picked up further cooling the cricket and the songs slows slightly again. Recorded on an East Dorset NNR.

Photo: Bob Ashington

Bog Bush Cricket; temperature-related 'song'

I love the strange rhythmic pulsing of this grasshopper.  Normally found only on chalk grassland this particular grasshopper was on some acidic grassland at Stoborough Heath NNR instead!

Photo: James Ashington

Stripe - winged grasshopper

Another bush cricket that you'll hear from late afternoon through to after dark (on warm nights).  Singing adults like to hide in tall vegetation so you need stealth to get close enough to spot one! 

Photo: Bob Ashington

Dark Bush Cricket

Our largest bush cricket is also - unsurprisingly - very loud!  Often heard from the car if you're driving with the windows open these will sing from late afternoon until well after dark.  I have a favourite spot for these in Purbeck where I can listen to dozens all singing at once - it's almost sounds like the jungle!

Photo: James Ashington

Great Green Bush Cricket

Disturbed by a deer, this woodpecker flew right over my head (I was crouched behind a bush at the time!) - protesting as it went.

I was delighted - the woodpecker probably less so!

Green Woodpecker

Two young female pheasants keeping in touch as they move through thick cover on the edge of a heath at Arne nature reserve

Young Pheasants - contact calls

This one is a bit of fun!  As I was wandering around Arne early the other morning (attempting to record Sika) at one point I was in a glade of sweet chestnut listening to the starlings which have recently migrated in from continental Europe.

There was a lot of grey squirrel activity all around me as they worked their way through the trees harvesting the nuts (and occasionally dropping one!) and this contrasted nicely with the starlings background melody.  

You'll definitely want your earphones for this recording!  Enjoy!

The sweet (chestnut) sound of autumn!

Whilst the bucks are understandable aggressive to each other they are obviously very attentive to the ladies!  The bleats here are the does who have been attracted in to the lek by the buck's calling.  He in turn will do his best to keep them around until they are receptive to him - you can hear him following a doe as she explores the area.

Fallow buck with does

Unlike Fallow deer, Sika will not quietly melt away when they spot you. Instead they stand their ground, and squeak very loudly so everything knows you are there!

Both sexes do this, with the hinds call more high-pitched than the stags. If you hear this then you know you have been spotted - good luck!

Sika - hind alarm calls

I made this recording on the edge of one of the Forest lawns hidden within a group of thorns.  All around me, feeding on the berries, were a group of mixed thrushes and starlings and in a nearby stand I could hear a Fallow buck.  Many of the birds here are winter migrants - birds newly arrived to overwinter in our milder, Atlantic climate.

Listen out for Robin, Blackbird, Redwing, Fieldfare, Starling, Jay, and of course the Fallow deer among others.

For me, this combination of sounds just seems to speak of Autumn.

New Forest  - an autumnal soundscape

Even when the birds drop into the reeds they still make their presence known!  The background 'buzz' is thousands of Starlings chattering and calling among themselves as they settle in for the night.

Photo & recording: Bob Ashington

Starling reedbed roost - Studland

I went back to the - now famous - Starling reedbed roost at Studland to record them as they leave at dawn.  It was an incredibly foggy morning (listen out for the chain ferry foghorn as it prepares to leave!) so I enjoyed the entire spectacle on my own, in stark contrast to the evening murmurations which are now drawing in crowds of spectators that number into the hundreds.

Even before dawn the birds were noisy and this started to rise into a final crescendo just before the mass takeoff as several thousand birds took flight and disappeared in seconds!

Within this recording you'll hear several smaller launches as groups of birds temporarily lifted and then dropped back onto the reeds.  In the last couple of minutes you can also make out the mass of birds rolling over the reedbed in waves towards me until they were only about 15 metres away.  All the while the chain ferry nearby was plying it's trade and the strange 'clunk, clunk' noises in the background are cars driving on and off the ramps!

Photo & Recording: Bob Ashington

Starlings at Studland - morning dispersal

I recently spent an evening and (very) early morning at a wonderful site called Alners Gorse.  It is possibly the best site in Dorset to hear Nightingale and I encountered no fewer than 4 singing males there.  So here is a recording of one of them for you to enjoy; just lose yourself in it!  This was recorded just as it was getting dark so it also captures the 'dusk chorus' - the lesser known relative of the dawn one but often just as evocative.

The glorious Nightingale

Every Nightingale puts their own spin on their legendary voice so I've added the songs of a couple of Alners Gorse birds to give a flavour of the variety and range these amazing songsters can achieve....

Nightingales of Alners Gorse (No. 1)

Nightingales of Alners Gorse (No.2)

This recording contains many of the species you'd expect to hear at this time of the year - and one or two special ones too!

May morning medley

The song of the Chaffinch is really indicative of late spring / early summer to me - it is short and repetitive but I still love hearing it!  Just a quick recording of a particularly bonny individual!

Chaffinch song

Just as dawn starts to break the voices of the birds of the night are joined by those of the day.  Nightingale, Tawny owl, blackbird, song thrush, woodpigeon, pheasant, even a cockerel!  It had been raining overnight so the mic also picked up the sound of falling raindrops!

The Light of the Spirit

Dorset dawn

An early Spring dawn chorus with a Song Thrush taking centre stage; accompanied by a variety of both resident species and a few early migrants.

Early Spring dawn chorus at the Hardy Monument

Even though it was a bit of a blustery day I thought I'd try my luck recording at the RSPB Lodmoor Reserve.  This is an excellent location to find some of our earliest migrants - the 'leaf warblers' (so called for their colours).   It is still a bit early for the rarer Wood Warbler but Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler were there in abundance; often several in the same tree.  Unfortunately the strong breeze also magnified the local traffic noise a bit too but you can't have everything!

Leaf warblers at Lodmoor

A nice bit of rambling subsong from a young Blackcap - tuning up before deciding on its final rendition!  Parabolic reflector recording.

Blackcap 1 - subsong

The delights of a wetland nature reserve at dawn in the early Spring.  A multitude of species here both from the reedbed itself and the alder carr behind.  (Sadly also a bit of traffic too - very hard to escape at any time nowadays it seems).

Reedbed edge at dawn

This is a much longer recording at the same location - for those who really appreciate musical toads!

Natterjack night - 2

And finally, a range of vocalisations and individual pieces from the Natters.

Natterjack nights - 3

There can be few noisier locations than a heronry in full swing - particularly one that also has egrets nesting below the herons!  Although hardly secretive both species are sensitive to disturbance so this recording was taken outside of the site itself, as such there is the usual bit of man-made background noise too.  Still, enjoy the racket - it's almost like Jurassic Park in there; particularly when the herons pipe up!

Recording and photo - Bob Ashington

Little Egret & Grey Heron nest site

Dawn on a wetland reserve in Somerset and a welcome visitor has dropped in - adding a powerful solo to the more usual voices heard at this time of year; the first Nightingale of the year.  Enjoy!

Nightingale at dawn

Double the delight here with stereo Nightingales.  The first 10 minutes of this recording features a single male singing in dense cover.  Then a second rival  male starts up about 100 metres away; resulting in a sublime duet.

Nightingales - single and duet

Not one, not two, but three Nightingales singing in this one; a treat indeed.  As they were quite far apart quite a lot of gain was required meaning a bit of 'mic hiss' is apparent but it isn't often you get to hear three together so I hope you're forgive it this time!

Nightingales -  the thrill of three!

Sunday 3rd May 2020 is International Dawn Chorus Day.   So a very early walk was taken to enjoy this daily surround sound experience!  Unfortunately though, with a gentle rain falling, the songsters were a little bit more reluctant than normal!   Still enjoy this short recording - complete with rain - if you didn't manage to get out yourself.

Photo and recording: Bob Ashington

Damp Dawn Chorus - IDCD 2020

This Cuckoo was calling from a small stand of pine on the edge of a ridge, and there is a nice resonation of it's call back from the surrounding wood.

Recording & photo: Bob Ashington

Cuckoo At Rainbarrow

Having managed finally to get out to my favourite site for Nightingale, I recorded these two vying with each other as dusk fell on a cool May evening.  The 'ticking' is a Robin who isn't so pleased to see me!

Recording & photo: Bob Ashington

Nightingale duel

A short recording of one of several Bitterns merrily booming away at Shapwick Heath NNR early on a mid-May morning.

Recording & photo: Bob Ashington

A brief Bittern

A lifelong naturalist who enjoys listening to our native wildlife as much as watching it!

For best results use your headphones, kick back and relax!!

BirdSongBob

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