Nature Recordings - Africa

Summer has passed, winter is approaching. Until the rains return, the creek is dry, but pools of water remain, here and there, where a few Bibron's Toadlets linger, croaking with a sound somewhat like glass marbles grating and rattling against one another. Small birds flutter down to drink water. Particular birds sighted were Grey Fantails and Red-capped Robins. If you listen carefully, you will hear the sounds of the water as they drink, while hovering in mid-air. Birds heard in the distance include Crimson Rosellas and Grey Currawongs.

A small token towards Earth Day 2024. Macrocosms are woven only out of microcosms. If the microcosms are well, the macrocosm will be well. An unattended recording made with a pair of FEL Clippies (Primo EM172s), draped, hanging, from a branch near the pool, into an F3. Occasional contact sounds are small birds landing on adjoining branches, and sometimes perhaps the branch from which the microphones dangle.

A shorter excerpt from this longer recording, focusing on the sounds of the water as the small birds drink, has also posted here, at https://soundcloud.com/hearingbeings/20240406-small-birds-drinking-water-from-a-small-pool-autumn-excerpt.

Recorded with respect upon the land of the Kaurna people.

2024.04.06 Small Birds Drinking Water from a Small Pool. Autumn. (Long Version)

I got to spend December 2023 recording in several jungle locations in Costa Rica. The experience was wonderful and inspiring. Most of the trip was spent on Osa Peninsula, in lodges that bordered Parque Nacional Corcovado (Corcovado National Park). With nearly 2.5% of the world's species represented, many of them endemic, it is  recognized as one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet.

On the same morning as the previous  Midnight Chorus recording https://soundcloud.com/soundeziner/cr-fincasueno-midnightchorus, a troop of Golden Mantled Howler Monkeys greeted the Dawn and their neighbors (and the rest of the jungle) the only way they know how. Male mantled howlers have an enlarged hyoid bone, a hollow amplifying bone near their vocal cords that gives the ability to generate great "howling"  calls that can heard for kilometers.  Howling allows the monkeys to exercise territory and remain in contact  without expending energy through movement or bearing the risks of physical confrontation. As someone who likes little more than sitting in a forest listening to nature speak, I approve of this lazing behavior.

While this howling is their most well-known vocal characteristic, I'm rather fond of the popping and grunting that warms up to the howl and pads the time in between. It's relatively quiet, and is most noticeable only when near the vocalizing howler. The best description of it that I can think of is like the "vocal fry" not uncommon in many of today's pop singers. Check it out near the start of the first round of howling around 2:40 (link in the comments)

After a first round of loud howls, the group takes a break. With what is known about Mantled Howler activity, they're likely sleeping, or maybe eating. After 20-is minutes, they pick up again for a brief session before settling back down. It's possible they've been moving during this time as they're quieter during this round. Finally, just before Sunrise at 05:38 in the morning, they pick up again, slowly building and then tapering off after nearly 30 minutes of vocal exercising.

After speaking with other recordists, I know I am far from alone as someone who loves their sound, but I I may be one of the few that enjoys waking up to their calls. Every morning I heard this in the distance or nearby was a morning I walked out to breakfast with a big silly grin on my face.

Another voice that has become a personal favorite is the Yellow-throated Toucan, with their rhythmic, bouncing song that seems to carry on forever. There is at least one singing for most of this recording, but you can get your first good listen behind the Howlers at 53:27 or skip ahead to 1:06:02 to hear two singing at each other.

Hummingbirds are abundant, and you'll hear their buzzing wings fly by and around the microphones numerous times. Also coming and going are raucous and noisy Scarlet Macaws and Red-lored Parrots, a lone Red-eyed Tree Frog, a visiting Little Tinamou, and more. 

I'll point out a few voices along the way in the comments, but I'm out of my depth when it comes to identifying neotropical birds, so I'll largely let the ecosystem speak for itself. Feel free to poke around with links in the comments to scoot around the recording, or just let it play out over your morning coffee like I do.

Feel like seeing some fancy colors? I've been playing at visualizing soundscapes lately. Check out the video for this recording on YouTube: https://youtu.be/duxU2INkyXI?si=xhIrgiHiOSOk922l

AMNS Costa Rica 01

Golden Mantled Howlers at Dawn

Accompanied by Starlings, Reed Warblers, distant corvids

Grasshopper Warblers

I was lucky to visit Xinjiang back in 2011. This recording is from Tianchi Lake, situated at an altitude of 1900m above sea level. It is an alpine glacial lake surrounded by montane forests. It is also a major national tourist attraction, one of the AAAAA (5A) areas area of outstanding beauty designated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It’s essentially an area prepared for mass tourism, which in china means big numbers.

However, a short walk up the forested slopes and away from the main visitor centres there is tranquillity to be found. And that is where I recorded this summer soundscape with playful nutcrackers.

Main Species: Spotted Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) 
Background whistling: Black Kites (Milvus migrans)
Habitat: Alpine Forest
Location: Tianchi Lake, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, PRC
Time and date: 13 July 2010, 11am

Gear: (Associate links)
Fostex Fr2-LE
Rode Nt4 https://amzn.to/4bcROVi 
Nikon D40 https://amzn.to/4dedVMC

Nutcrackers of Tianchi Lake

Je n’avais pas anticipé qu’il ferait aussi froid ce matin et lorsque les premiers rayons du soleil ont commencé à me réchauffer, j’aurais volontiers chanté comme un oiseau.

I hadn't expected it to be so cold this morning so when the first rays of sunshine started to warm me up, I would have happily sung like a bird.

2024 © Ph.V.

Ambiance matinale en Forêt de la Coubre

The gentle sounds of wind blowing through the tree canopy and across the forest floor. (beech, pine)

Wind Soundscape - Pine and Mixed Woodland

A Blackbird serenades the air at dawn from a coastal Gorse bush atop a rocky cliff in East Cork. His sweet melodic tune wafts through the air pairing perfectly with the fragrant piña colada aromas of the sun-yellow Gorse flowers. A Stonechat gently sings in the distance. Crashing waves below remind us of our seaside location. Spring is truly in the air and this handsome black and orange lad wants to attract a partner but also let other competitors know that he's fit, healthy, attractive and is laying a claim to this spot.

Blackbird on the Cliffs

Porto ◉ Ocean blow holes ◉

I am currently collecting material for a sound map of my home town Heidelberg, this recording was made for that purpose. In an allotment area, somewhere around 5 am, the birds wake up and join those that have been singing all night long. We can hear – as a soloist – a redstart with a background chorus of 3 Nightingales and some blackbirds, together with others. The city is still quiet – I was touched to find such a friendly dawn chorus in the middle of the still sleeping city. The recording is an excerpt from an unattended overnight recording.
Clippy EM 272 in A/B, 60 cm in Zoom F3.

Dawn chorus in town – redstart, nightingales, blackbirds….

I love the many different calls of ravens - this call is something that I hear less often and I am not sure when it is being used. Perhaps just for fun?
Högbyhatt, Uppsala. May 1, 2024.

Mixpre 3ii + Lewitt 400 pure in ortf

A raven chatting

During a recent trip to Uganda I visited Ngamba Island which is situated in Lake Victoria, approximately 23 km south-east of Entebbe. Ngamba Island is home to a Chimpanzee Sanctuary with 48 orphaned chimps that have been rescued from throughout Uganda. The island provides an excellent secondary forest habitat for the chimpanzees and other wildlife species including Black-Headed Weaver birds. These birds nest close to one another in trees. The male builds the beautiful nests which hang from the tree's branches, but these nests are often rejected (and fall to the ground) if the female thinks the nest isn't good enough.

I recorded the following soundscape of the weaver birds who were nesting just a few metres off the shoreline.

Photo courtesy of Dee Marshall (http://www.beneaththeskies.com/)

Black-Headed Weaver Birds Nesting On Shoreline - Ngamba Island, Uganda

Kyambura Gorge is situated in the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. The area is an important water source for many animals and is also home to the only primates in the Queen Elizabeth National Park. 

The main purpose of my visit to Kyambura Gorge was to study the chimpanzees. We trekked for about two hours through dense forest and along the way I stopped to record some wonderful ambiances (particularly birdsong), and the incredible acoustics of the gorge.

This recording is of the hippos that were in the river just next to where we were walking. The first time I heard the hippo vocalise I was struck by the low frequencies and the way they cut through the rest of the forest soundscape. I had no idea a hippo vocalises this way!

Photo courtesy of Dee Marshall (http://www.beneaththeskies.com/)


Hippopotamus Vocalisations - Kyambura Gorge, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lies in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley and is home to an estimated 320 mountain gorillas – roughly half of the world’s population, including several habituated groups, which can be tracked.

During my time observing the mountain gorillas we spent around 1 hour in the company of the Oruzogo group, led by Bakwate the dominant alpha Silver back.

In this recording we hear Bakwate vocalising with two females of the group. All three had been eating bark in an Omu Jeje tree just in front of where I was positioned when Bakwate decided he’d eaten enough. As he started to climb down, he vocalised to the females to say he’d eaten enough and was leaving the tree, but he wanted to be alone. The females replied with grunts saying “ok” and remained in the tree. Bakwate climbed down to the ground and walked right passed me (literally within a meter of where I was sitting). I had an incredible rush of adrenaline when he walked passed, albeit the Oruzogo gorilla group are very passive when humans are present.

This was one of the most memorable moments of my trip to Uganda.

Photo courtesy of Anne Zak (http://www.annezakrzewski.de/)

Mountain Gorilla Vocalisations - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda

Wildlife Sound Recording Society (WSRS) 2015 Competition Winner 
- restricted winner
- won the certificate for the overall restricted winner
- runner up of the open class of class 4 (Habitat)

In November 2015 I stayed for a few days in the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. Whilst eating dinner one evening a huge, intense storm passed overhead. As soon as the storm had moved on, an incredibly intense frog and toad chorus began down at a small lake not far from my bungalow. As it was night time I had to be accompanied by a guard down to the lake in case any of the national park animals crossed our paths (elephants, leopards, hippos, snakes etc). 

Once we got to the edge of the lake I set up my mics and began recording. The chorus was really intense, with the dominant voices those of the Guttural Toad and the Rocket Frog. It was pitch black and as I sat and recorded, I became hypnotised by the evolving waves and patterns of the chorus. 

At the end of this recording we hear a clap of thunder. A few seconds prior to this, a bolt of lightning had forked down to the ground a kilometre or so away, and for a split second the entire lake had been lit up in bright purple. To my amazement, a hippo was standing in the middle of the lake, about 30 metres from where I was standing. I can't explain the rush of adrenaline I had at that moment. 

A truly amazing experience and a wonderful soundscape.

Photo courtesy of Charles J. Sharp
Special thanks to Robert C. Drewes, PhD for help on identifying the frog and toad species.

Intense Frog And Toad Chorus - Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Buffalo Safari Resort sits within Queen Elisabeth National Park and this was our home for three nights during my trip to Uganda. I stayed in a bungalow which backed right onto a small lake that many of the animals would visit during the day and at night - hippos, elephants, hyenas, leopards, water hogs and a huge number of birds, insects and frogs. So right from the balcony of my bungalow I could enjoy the most amazing soundscapes.

I woke up at 5.45 am having prepared my recording gear the night before. I placed the mics about 20 metres away from my bungalow and sat with the recorder running on the balcony. The first birds begun singing at 6 am and I left the recorder running for 20 minutes.

Amongst the bird species we hear are White-Browed Couckal, Red Bishop, Hamerkop, Egyptian Goose, Hadada Ibis, Pin-Tailed Whydah, Golden Oriol and Black-Headed Gonolek. 

Photo courtesy of John R Whitaker under a Creative Commons license

Dawn Chorus 6.00am - Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Buffalo Safari Resort sits within Queen Elisabeth National Park and this was our home for three nights during my trip to Uganda. I stayed in a bungalow which backed right onto a small lake that many of the animals would visit during the day and at night - hippos, elephants, hyenas, leopards, water hogs and a huge number of birds, insects and frogs. So right from the balcony of my bungalow I could enjoy the most amazing soundscapes.

I woke up at 5.45 am having prepared my recording gear the night before. I placed the mics about 20 metres away from my bungalow and sat with the recorder running on the balcony. The first birds begun singing at 6 am.

Amongst the bird species we hear are Brown Cuckoo, Red Bishop, Hammer Cob, Egyptian Goose, Hadada Ibis, Pin-Tailed Whydah, Golden Oriol and Black-Headed Gonolek.

This is the second of two dawn chorus recordings, made slightly later (6.30 am). Towards the end of the recording we hear a pair of Black and White Casqued Hornbills that flew directly overheard my mics.

Photo courtesy of Ross Tsai under a Creative Commons license

Dawn Chorus 6.30am (Incl Black and White Casqued Hornbills) - Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Sound recordist Colin Hunter 
Founder of the World Sounds project

Black-Headed Weaver Birds Nesting On Shoreline - Ngamba Island, Uganda

World-Sounds.org

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