Recording 3998.  MixPre3 and a Rode NTG-8 gun mic.
Thanks to Michael Apel, CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons, for the picture.

Chaffinch - Calls & Songs - 11 May 23 - 4.39am - Dalsvallen

Tuesday the 20th of June 2023.  Out of bed at 2.05am.  On the road at 3.04am.  Arrived at Rosahane graveyard at 3.52am.  Set up the 440's and MixPre3 and rolled out the mic cable back to the car as I wanted to sit in while recording, much better than standing about.  It was perfectly calm, on the way up to the hills I had wondered where the light was, as it was near to the shortest night of the year, however in one place I could see some light through a break in the clouds, I had thought it was not cloudy as I saw stars before leaving. I didn't quite catch the first bird (A Robin) as the mic cable tangled as I rolled it out, however I fairly soon got it sorted and began recording, had the record gain at 70db.   After making a few recordings it began to rain.  Gradually I found I needed to reduce the gain to 62dbs.  I had made a few recordings because a few jets roared over and I had to keep stopping and starting.  After packing up I headed for home, however I had gone the short distance, as far as the field where the sheep can be found when I noticed the rain had stopped so because the gear was not completely packed away I decided to have a go at recording, especially when I could see that the sheep were closer than the other day.  Only downside of this recording is that the two birds that sang were all over to one side of the sound stage.  Eventually the rain came in again and so this was my cue to pack up and go home.  Left at 6.32am, home at 7.21am.  MixPre3 & Lewitt 440's.  Recording 4061.

Chaffinch (2) 20 June 23 - 4.52am - Rosahane Graveyard

A grove of trees beside the island's chapel was vibrant with bird life this morning in june.

A grove of trees beside the chapel, Gotska Sandön (excerpt).

I really like the sound of a chaffinch!! By the way, I'm almost certain the chaffinch in the photo and this sound recording are the same chaffinch. I photographed the bird, then he flew over and dissappeared into a wooded area, and I recorded a chaffinch in that area, I'm pretty sure it's the same one.

Nature Recordings - 2024 - 06 - 07 17 44 Chaffinch

I'm fascinated by the fact that the last section of a chaffinch song often changes, I'd love to know why this is. Bird song is amazing!

2024 - 06 - 09 16 28 Chaffinch

I was delighted with the sound quality I got here, I think I got the sound of both the chaffinch and the sound of the river quite well.

Nature Recordings - 2024 - 06 - 11 18 13 Chaffinch Near Running Water

20th June 2024.  Got up at 1.51am.  Left at 2.54am for Rosahane graveyard.  Arrived at 3.44am.  I went around to a huge pine tree and cut a few low branches so I could get into the tree trunk where I placed the microphones, a pair of Lewitt 440's plugged into the Tascam X8.  I then went back to the entrance to the graveyard and set up the parabolic dish with one Sennheiser MKH8020 placed in the focal point.  At 4.10am a truck went by on the road, this surprised me after all I was in the very heart of the mountains.  Not to worry after all it wouldn't be long passing through and I would soon be recording.  How wrong.  The truck went past the end of the road and stopped, then as far as I could make out by sound at least they got out and began to work, what they were doing I had no idea, at one point I heard a sound coming from their direction, a weird noise I had never heard before.  Would love to know what they were doing.  A nearby Chaffinch sang nearby so I had a go at recording it, I love when I get a great focus on a bird and the sound comes over strongly.  Later I heard a Blackcap in song, had a go at recording.  The strange noises continued, so I gave up, as it didn't look like they were going to stop.  At 4.56am the truck went away, I think the birdsong was also poor by then so at 5.43am I left for home.  So how did I get such a good recording of the Chaffinch ?  Sometimes the noise would stop for a few minutes, also a lot of it tended to be in the low frequency, this I later filtered.  Instead of turning right to go home, I turned left to see if I could find out what had been going on, what was so important that it had to be done so early in the morning ?  but I saw no trace.  Home at 6.57am.   I think the best recording I got that morning was this one . . . Chaffinch - song (2).  Sennheiser MKH8020 and a parabolic dish and a MixPre3 recorder.  Recording 4340.

Chaffinch Song - 20 June 2024 - 5am - Rosahane Graveyard

Swedish sound collector, photographer and hiker.

I have a great distaste for not making music.

Here you’ll find all of the songs I have written , my improvisations, as well as a good few weird experiments. I aim to keep changing my music, hopefully never getting stuck in a musical rut or staying in the same genre too long. When I started it was all one guitar stuff (no overdubs), and very bad sound production (i.e, no sound production!), but since then I’ve started adding more instruments such as drums bass and saz and I’m slowly but surely getting better at sound production. And last but not least, I am slowly but surely getting into singing. I welcome all feedback whether good or bad. Or indifferent. I also want to hear from those who are apathetic about my music! I recorded three albums:

Lifespan (2018):
soundcloud.com/user-429211267/sets/lifespan
The Telescope (2019):
soundcloud.com/user-429211267/sets/the-telescope
On these first two there is no sound production as such because I didn’t understand that stuff at the time, then I recorded this one:

 Argentavis Magnificens (2021):
soundcloud.com/user-429211267/sets/electric-juniper-saz
at which point I was finally starting to get my head around the sound production thing. I’m currently working on an album called Neurotypical Empire, Vol 1: 2244, the first song of which I have released:

https://soundcloud.com/user-429211267/neurotypical-empire-vol-1-2244-edit-1-export-1

All are welcome here, except of course bigots. If you are racist, homophobic or transphobic, I respectfully ask that you go away.

A cabinetmaker by trade.  I have been recording birds for over 40 years.  Even as a seven year old I loved to hear the sound of birds. 
I believe that birdsong is a perfect reflection of the natural environment and yet a part of the experience of the environment.  
Over the years I have made some wildlife films and videos.  For wildlife recording I have been around Ireland, Wales, Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Belize, Guyana, Brazil, Peru and Costa Rica. At the moment I have 26 albums of birdsong/nature, most of which can be found here for free download in high quality F.L.A.C. format.
  
Birdsong is Spiritual Medicine,
a Natural Treasure 
and a Companion to Silence.

New tracks tagged #Chaffinch