I had the wonderful opportunity to record a distant passing thunderstorm. A favourable wind direction with only light rain allowed me to set up the equipment under the roof overhang on the balcony. 
The recording is deliberately moderately levelled to preserve the atmosphere of the events.

 Equipment used:
 • LOM basicUcho Microphones Matched Pair
 • Rycote BBG Windshield w/ Windjammer
 • Rycote InVision INV-6 Heavy Shock Mount
 • Gravity MS STB 01 PRO Stereo Bar
 • Sound Devices MixPre-6 II Audio Recorder
• Manfrotto 455B Tripod w/ 141RC Pan Tilt Head

'Passing thunderstorm and bird calls' recorded with LOM basicUcho | 24 | 441 | S | AB30

Wind over Titchwell marshes as Storm Ashley reached the UK. It was too windy to record anything but.

Location: RSPB Titchwell, Norfolk, UK.
Date and time: 20 October 2024 at 07:07
Habitat: Marshland, coastal

Gear
Zoom F3
Sennheiser MKH 8060 and MKH 30 in Mid-Side

Wind Titchwell Storm Ashley

Black Crickets (Gryllus bimaculatis) also known as Mediterranean field crickets. Recorded in captivity at the London Zoo, using a pair of DPA4060 omnidirectional microphones.

Individual pic by Bj.schoenmakers (CC0 1.0)

Black Crickets

Field recording of a small dormouse sniffing the microphones - tree ears setup. Best experienced with quality headphones.

ASMR Small rodent sniffs your brain

Underground recording of Pachnoda marginata peregrina (aka sun beetle, aka Congo rose chafer, aka taxicab beetle) larvae in captivity at the London Zoo.

Larvae of many Coleoptera (beetle) families possess stridulatory organs. Stridulations are actively produced sounds for communication created by rubbing together certain body parts*

It is still (March 2025) unclear why beetle larvae produce these sounds, though communication (attracting mates or warning other insects) is the prime theory.

Gear
Aquarian Audio H2A hydrophones, Sound Devices 744T recorder

Larvae pic by Biotropic (on Flickr.com) CC 2.0

*Görres, CM., Chesmore, D. Active sound production of scarab beetle larvae opens up new possibilities for species-specific pest monitoring in soils. Sci Rep 9, 10115 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-46121-y

Beetle Larvae Song

Always nice to confirm a breeding pair as you're never too certain till you find a nest but these guys are hanging on in the same spot over the span of a few weeks now so pretty certain they're settled in. 

Gear: Sound Devices MixPre 6 ii - Telinga Dish With Schoeps Mk 2 inside + Schoeps Stereo Mk 2's outside 

Willow Tit Pair - MixPre-7512

I've used multiple microphones on these guys over the years and schoeps just seems todo it for me with Nuthatch. This is with the Mk 2 which still gives plenty of detail but with way more warmth than the Mk 4's. Which is better? subjective but I feel depending on the distance of the bird, both seem to come with their pro's and con's. There have been times where the Mk 4 has recording too much high frequency when close up, but you get the opposite effect with the Mk 2 when subjects are further away and you get a much softer high frequency. Right tools for the Job I guess, I'm glad I've got both at my disposal. 

Gear: Sound Devices MixPre 6 ii - Telinga Dish W/Schoeps Mk 2's inside and stereo Mk 2's outside 

Nuthatch - MixPre-7516

I can't think of a better two notes to sing.. each note is so rich with a chunky body to it but lots of intricate high frequency detail ontop, it's one of my favourite little songs of spring. 

Gear: Sound Devices MixPre 6 ii - Telinga Dish W/Schoeps Mk 2's + Stereo Mk 2's 

Great Tit Song - MixPre-7524

Smallest bird in Britain and a dainty song but the forest is absolutely teaming with them. They're very successful species in Britain, pretty much anywhere there are trees, tall hedgerows or ivy. 

#Gear: Sound Devices MixPre 6 ii / Telinga Dish W/Schoeps Mk 4 + Stereo MK 2's 

Goldcrest Song - MixPre-7501

This was an opportune moment rather than setting out for this species but given the circumstances I think it worked out quite well. 

Gear: Sound Devices MixPre 6 ii / Telinga Dish w/Schoeps CCM 4 + Stereo Mk 2's 

Forest Cuckoo - MixPre-7702

The Cow Pee, Poo & Walk Sound Library – Natural Livestock Sounds from Australia

Recorded in the lush Tablelands of Queensland, this one-of-a-kind sound collection features an entire herd of 50 to 100 cows meandering along a quiet rural path, crossing the road in their usual unhurried way.

With our microphones set up just steps from the action—including the Voyage Audio and Sony PCM D100—you’ll hear it all: from the rhythmic clomp of hooves and the crunch of grazing to the unmistakable sounds of cow pee and poo (yes, you read that right). Add in a few expressive moos, and you’ve got the raw essence of rural Australia.

This sound library is equal parts hilarious, honest, and highly useful—an excellent fit for documentaries, farming-related projects, immersive experiences, or any creative work that demands real, unfiltered livestock recordings.

Includes:
🎧 23 royalty-free files with full metadata
📦 2.3 GB total size
🕒 Approx. 37 minutes of audio
🎙️ Recorded at 192/96 kHz – 24-bit
⚡ Instant digital download via Bandcamp


Pee-Poo-Moo–The Real Sounds of Cows on the Move

□ Stop. ○ Record. ▹ Play.

🇩🇪 Willkommen auf diesem Stream! Ich halte an. Ich nehme auf. Und ihr spielt es hier ab. Das ist das Motto. Ich teile Tonaufnahmen überwiegend aus der Natur sowie Informationen zu der von mir verwendeten Technik.

🇳🇱 Welkom bij deze stream! Ik stop. Ik neem op. En jij speelt het hier af. Dat is het motto. Ik deel geluidsopnames voornamelijk uit de natuur en informatie over de technologie die ik gebruik.

🇬🇧 Welcome to this stream! I stop. I record. And you play it here. That's the motto. I share sound recordings mostly from nature and information about the technology I use.

'Passing thunderstorm and bird calls' recorded with LOM basicUcho | 24 | 441 | S | AB30

Stop. Record. Play.

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