I was out kayaking in Lake Tämnaren when I spotted a calling Bittern very close in a canal. Often when you hear a Bittern close up you hear the "inhalation" but I never before heard the ticking noise preceding the inhalation. I wonder if this is something all bitterns do before calling to increase the pressure!? In the background you hear Black Terns, probably the largest colony in all of Scandinavia with about 100 pairs.

Sörsjön, Tämnaren. June 8, 2025.
AudioTechnica BP4025 + Tascam FRAV2

Bittern calling 5 m away from the microphone

Forgot I had made this and Hannah kindly reminded me it existed. Well... I can't imagine I'll be getting any rewards for this one haha

Happy Halloween!

Halloween

Wow, what happened?
What was that bang?
There's another
I'm frightened man
Why have some turned to ghosts
And them to zombies
Such bloody joke
Aw man I'm scared...
Hold on, they're happy
They're eating sweets
Whilst looking crappy
That house, I wouldn't go there on my own
But they're ringing the bell
Now they're singing a song
What must aliens think of this scene
Oh happy hearts of Halloween 

More bangs
More colour
More costume
More scare
More little witch
Look, A ninja, there
Who would have thought this frightening scene
Would light such smile
Show human esteem
Is this our ticket to be sound
Let's be zombies all year round


The bonfires burn
The pumpkins scare
The costumes cure
Young soul finds dare
Dress me up
Be ring brack beam
Be nuts good friends
Happy Halloween

Halloween

Pagan chant lyrics from The Goodly Spellbook - 'The Bagahi Rune'

'The Bagahi Rune' is an old witches chant derived from ancient Basque language - a call to gather for the harvest, feast + celebration.

Bagahi laca bachahe,
Lamac cahi achabahe,
Karrelyos.

Lamac Lamec bachalyos,
Cabahagi sabalyos,
Baryolas.

Lagozatha cabyolas,
Samahac et famyolas,
Harrahya.

Translation:

The feast in November, the feast,
I shall transport thee there myself,
And without the aid of a sieve, 
To scour the plates and dishes with sand,
Work which must be done with those plates and dishes,
We  shall meet our friends, ready for the drinking-cup,
If they shall go to the feast, their bellies full with,
Quaffing from the drinking-cup.
O' sons of the master, with your families,
Shout his praises with the  cry,
HURRAHYA!


The Bagahi Rune

Pagan chant lyrics from Musixmatch - 'Lyke Wake Dirge'

This one night, this one night,
Every nighte and all,
Fire and sleet and candle-light,
And Christ receive thy soul.

When from hence away thou art past,
Every night and all,
To thorny wood thou com'st at last,
And Christ receive thy soul.

If ever thou gavest cloth and shoon,
Every night and all,
Sit thee down and put them on,
And Christ receive thy soul.

If cloth and shoon thou ne'er gav'st,
Every night and all,
The thorn shall prick thee to thy bone,
And Christ receive thy soul.

When from thorny wood thou pass,
Every night and all,
To Brig o' Dread thou com'st at last,
And Christ receive thy soul.

From Brig o' Dread whence thou may'st pass,
Every night and all,
To Purgatory fire thou com'st at last,
And Christ receive thy soul.

If meat or drink thou ne'er gav'st,
Every night and all,
The fire shall burn thee to thy bone,
And Christ receive thy soul.


Lyke Wake Dirge

Pagan chant lyrics from sacredtexts - 'The Wiccan Rede'

Bide the Wiccan laws you must,
In perfect love and perfect trust,
Live you must and let to live,
Fairly take and fairly give.

Form the circle thrice about,
To keep unwelcome spirits out,
To bind your spell will every time,
Let the spell be spake in rhyme.

Soft of eye and light of touch,
Speak you little, listen much,
Deosil go by the waxing moon,
Chanting out the baleful tune.

When the Lady’s moon is new.
Kiss your hand to her times two,
When the moon rides at her peak,
Then your hearts’ desire seek.

Heed the north winds mighty gale,
Lock the door and trim the sail,
When the wind comes from the south,
Love will kiss thee on the mouth.

When the wind blows from the east,
Expect the new and set the feast,
When the wind blows from the west,
Bardic words be at their best.

When ye have and hold a need,
Harken not to others greed,
With a fool no season spend,
Or be counted as his friend.

When misfortune is enow,
Wear the star upon thy brow,
True in love you ever be,
Lest thy love be false to thee.

Merry meet and merry part,
Bright the cheeks and warm the heart,
Mind the threefold law you should,
Three times bad and three times good.

Nine woods in the cauldron go,
Burn them fast and burn them slow,
Elder be the Lady's tree,
Burn it not or cursed you'll be.

When the wheel begins to turn,
Soon the Beltane fires will burn,
When the wheel hath turned a Yule,
Light the log the Horned One rules.

Heed you flower, bush and tree,
By the Lady blessed be,
Where the rippling waters go,
Cast a stone, the truth you'll know.

Bide the Wiccan laws you must,
In perfect love and perfect trust,
These words The Wiccan Rede fulfil,
‘An harm you none, do what you will’.

The Wiccan Rede

Pagan chant lyrics from earthspirit - 'Cauldron of Change'

Cauldron of change,
Blossom of bone,
Arc of eternity,
Hole in the stone.

Bone blossom,
Bone blossom,
Bone blossom,
Bone blossom...

Cauldron Of Change

Pagan chant lyrics from spells8 - 'Powerful Song'

Powerful song of radiant light,
Weave us the web that spins the night.
Web of stars that holds the dark,
Weave us the earth that feeds the spark.

Strand by stand, hand over hand,
Thread by thread, we weave the web.

The Web That Spins The Night

A dark and groovy downtempo edit of Citizens of Halloween, crafted by Oppelner and Arteriam to celebrate the spooky season with a slow, fat rhythm. Deep basslines, haunting textures, and hypnotic percussion blend into a cinematic Halloween vibe — perfect for late-night rituals and underground dancefloors.

FREE DL: hypeddit.com/oppelnerarteriam/a…nsouphalloweenedit

Arteriam & Oppelner - Pumpkin Soup (Halloween Edit) FreeDownload

Bass, guitar + synthesizer by Adam Majdecki-Janicki @adammajdeckijanicki @psychetropicunderground

Pagan chant lyrics from The Goodly Spellbook - 'The Bagahi Rune'

Bagahi laca bachahe,
Lamac cahi achabahe,
Karrelyos.

Lamac Lamec bachalyos,
Cabahagi sabalyos,
Baryolas.

Lagozatha cabyolas,
Samahac et famyolas,
Harrahya.

Translation:

The feast in November, the feast,
I shall transport thee there myself,
And without the aid of a sieve, 
To scour the plates and dishes with sand,
Work which must be done with those plates and dishes,
We  shall meet our friends, ready for the drinking-cup,
If they shall go to the feast, their bellies full with,
Quaffing from the drinking-cup.
O' sons of the master, with your families,
Shout his praises with the  cry,
HURRAHYA!


The Bagahi Soup ft. Adam Majdecki-Janicki

I ran a simple noise test with the onboard microphones on the ZOOM H1e and ZOOM M4.
First half track with level as recorded, first H1 and then M4; second half track levels NORMALIZED up to 0.1 dB, first H1 and then M4.

H1e Vs M4 Onboard Microphones TEST - AsRecorded and NORMALIZED

Field sound recordist and archivist of vanishing sounds in natural Iandscapes. Highly commended in the Sound of the Year Awards 2024 - Best Natural Sound.

Bittern calling 5 m away from the microphone

Bo Söderström