Arid mallee country is vast and flat. Although this large reserve is brimming with birdlife and bird species, and every dawn is typically rich with bird energy and variety, birds are very widely dispersed throughout the landscape.  Recording first light/dawn choruses, here, can be challenging, and the obvious and best choice for a wide perspective of this widely-dispersed activity is to use a pair of sensitive omnidirectional microphones. (Examples: https://soundcloud.com/hearingbeings/20200914-mallee-habitat-2-spring-before-sunrise-excerpt, https://soundcloud.com/hearingbeings/20200914-mallee-habitat-2-spring-after-sunrise-excerpt.)

Even so, much depends on a certain serendipity. As I’ve been learning from experience, no two dawns in the same location are likely to be very similar: much depends on seasonal, astronomical, and weather conditions, and which groups of birds happen to be present in, or passing through, a particular location on a particular morning. On one morning, one may be in the midst of vocal Ravens and White-winged Choughs; on another, the Choughs and Ravens may be only barely audible in the far distance, whereas Grey Butcherbirds, Brown Treecreepers and Bronzewings may grace the foreground. Even so, various species do tend to prefer congregating in specific (although fairly wide) regions, according to variations in the flora of the landscape. The location in which this excerpt (from a longer overnight to dawn recording) was recorded is especially frequented by Grey Butcherbirds.

Lately, I've been exploring this varied and variable landscape with a pair of cardioid microphones, which, with their shorter and more focussed range, are excellent for picking out a smaller sphere of local details from the expansive but spatially attenuated acoustic landscape (or, perhaps better expressed, lifeworld soundscape). This present recording is an example. The main focus, here, is a fascinating feature of Grey Butcherbird communication: the interlocking of sometimes different, sometimes similar, kinds of calls. A very common example of different kinds of calls is what, on the one hand, is often very poorly described – in accordance with the limited ‘human ear’ - as ‘cackling’ or ‘laughing’ (faintly reminiscent of kookaburra calls): in fact, these calls are complex and interesting; and, when pitch-dropped and slowed down, reveal much ‘musical’ or informational detail. On the other hand, these complex calls often alternate or interlock with very melodious phrases provided by another Grey Butcherbird. (At the beginning of this excerpt, the former type of call can be heard to the left, followed immediately by the latter kind, to the right.) This combination of ‘contrasts’ seems to shift into an alternation or interlocking of melodious calls, provided by both birds in the duet.

During this recording, a Grey Butcherbird providing the melodious calls in a duet perches on a dry log beside the microphones. In the distance can also be heard (most clearly) Brown Treecreepers; along with (more faintly) Common Bronzewings, Crested Bellbirds, White-winged Choughs, Australian Ravens, a Striated Pardalote, and an Owlet Nightjar, amongst others. 

Listening with good headphones in a quiet environment (with volume between around 60 to 70 per cent) is strongly recommended.

Recorded on land of the Meru and Danggali peoples, which is now a private protected area, purchased from pastoral lease in 1997 by BirdLife Australia (see https://www.gluepot.org/about-gluepot/introduction/). The Reserve is also part of the Riverland Biosphere Reserve and the Riverland Mallee Important Bird Area.

Dedicated to Ben Gerstein.

2021.09.19 Grey Butcherbird Duets at Sunrise. Mallee Country. Early Spring.

[PL]
Trzecie piętro w pensjonacie jest podwyższone o poddasze, aż po samą kalenicę. Od strony wewnętrznej zamurowane jest okrągłe okienko, które wcześniej chyba służyło do wietrzenia przestrzeni pod samym dachem. Od strony zewnętrznej została wnęka, w której co roku gniazdują pustułki. Pokój na poddaszu często wypełniają wydawane przez nie dźwięki - jedyne, co je oddziela to cienka ścianka. Pustułki krążą w najbliższej okolicy, przysiadają na drzewach, polują i rywalizują o terytorium.
Nagranie powstało podczas kilkugodzinnej sesji, a prezentowany fragment przypada na największą aktywność pustułek.
Zdjęcie zrobione przy innej okazji, kiedy pustułka przysiadła na parapecie okna poniżej wnęki, gdzie zakładają gniazdo.


[EN]
The third floor in the guesthouse includes a raised attic, all the way up to the roof ridge. From the inside, a round window is walled up, which was probably used to ventilate the space under the roof. From the outside, there is a recess in which kestrels nest every year. The room in the attic is often filled with the sounds they make - the only thing that separates them is a thin wall. Kestrels fly around in the vicinity, perch on trees, hunt and compete for territory.
The recording was made during a few-hour session, and the presented fragment is when the kestrels were the most active.
Photo was taken on another occasion, when the kestrel perched on the window sill below the niche where they make a nest.


2023/05/18; 19:45 - 20:05
Zoom F4, AT BP4025

Pustułki przez ścianę / Kestrels through the wall

Cryogenic Lullaby (Song 3)

I recorded this early November in 2023. Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari is on the New Zealand, North Island. It´s a warm spring day with sounds of the birds but also farm animals and the occasional vehicle.

Sanctuary Mountain - Day and Evening

Got out of bed at 3.50am.  On the road at 4.46am, arrived at Ballyfad wood at 5.01am, it was then about a nine minute walk to the recording location.  Set up the three recorders, first the Tascam X8 with the Rode Nt4 stereo mic with the Cardioid capsules (52db gain).  Next the Tascam Dr100 Mk2 with the Warm Audio 84's (50db gain), strangely I get problems with these mics if I use them with the MixPre3, but they seem to work beautifully with the Tascam).  Finally I set up the MixPre3 with the MKH8020's, I had not been using these mics for quite awhile as I thought they had gone faulty, but it seems to not be the case.  The weather had been awful for so long, very wet and windy and though the drift of air was not from the best direction I still went for recording even though I could hear a small bit of swish from traffic coming from the motorway.  It was as more about experimenting and checking out the equipment as getting the best recordings, though that would be a bonus.  It was a cool morning, about 5C, near calm, dry and clear.  Left for home at 7.14am, arrived back at 7.31am.   Out of the seven recordings saved from the three long recordings from the three recorders, I like the Warm Audio results the best, they sound so thick and analogue, the levels on screen are very noticeably bigger and thicker than the other recordings, these two are uploaded here.  Recording  4134.

Dawn Chorus (4) 18th of April 2024 - 6.06am - Ballyfad Wood (Warm Audio 84's)

Lots of fallen trees in my home forest after the winter storms but this old pine (yes, photo shows a Norway spruce) never fell to the ground. It is lodged against another pine creating this creaking sound. Nåsten, April 19, 2024.

Zoom F3 + Mikro Usi Pro

Creaking pines

A few green frogs recorded in the village of Saint-Silvain-sous-Toulx (Creuse, France) around a watering place near a vegetable garden. In the distance, to the left, other, much more numerous frogs, subjects of another recording.
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Quelques grenouilles vertes (grenouilles communes) dans le village de Saint-Silvain-sous-Toulx (Creuse, France) autour d'un point d'eau près du potager de la maraichère. Au loin, à gauche, d’autres grenouilles bien plus nombreuses sujets d’un autre enregistrement.
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46,26195° N, 2,18256° E
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(Zoom F3, Sennheiser MKH8040, ORTF)

240413 · 9:00 pm · Grenouilles Vertes · Green Frogs (Creuse, France)

A little further on than the previous recording, a hidden pond with many more frogs.
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Un peu plus loin que le précédent enregistrement, un étang caché avec bien plus de grenouilles.
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Saint-Silvain-sous-Toulx (Creuse, France) 46,26339° N, 2,18290° E
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(Zoom F3, MKH8040, ORTF)

240413 · 10:00 pm ·  Grenouilles Vertes · Green Frogs (Creuse, France)

West Dr. 4:48pm

This recording takes us on a journey, from Südtiroler Platz to Karlsplatz on the line U1 of Vienna's U-Bahn. 

Recorded 11.04.2024
Zoom F3 + 2 x DPA 4060s

U-Bahn Journey - Vienna, Austria

20th of April 2024.  Got up at 3.48am.  On the road at 4.54am, got to Ballyfad wood (South entrance) at 5.09am.   The birds had already begun to sing even though it was still nearly dark.  At the recording spot I set up the Warm Audio 84's going into the Tascam Dr100 Mk3 at a gain of 50db.  About 40 meters further on I set up the Lewitt 440's going into the Tascam X8 at about 45db gain, I turned it down as the Lewitts are far more sensitive than the Nt4 used the other day.  I had the pointing away from the slight swish noise of distant traffic that could be heard sometimes.  It was a beautiful morning, cool, clear, dry and calm, any drift of air was in a somewhat more favourable westerly direction compared with the more southerly drift the other day.  That is how there was somewhat less traffic noise breaking through compared with the 18th April, but then there was a lot more disturbance from aircraft, compared with the 18th.    This area has a small pond surrounded by a lot of oak and pine with some big Beech trees nearby.  The picture is from the recording location.  Recording 4139.  Tascam X8  & Lewitt 440's.

Dawn Chorus (2) 20th April 2024 - 5.47am - Ballyfad Wood.

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Exploring hearing, the hearable, and the hearer, as an event, a mode, and a dimension of Βeing (τὸ εἶναι).

2021.09.19 Grey Butcherbird Duets at Sunrise. Mallee Country. Early Spring.

Hearing Beings

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