I never turn my dish away from these guys, they are so loud and that buttery smooth warble is just epic. I just wish they'd stay still!!

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

Nuthatch Song - MixPre-7335

Nice to get a different song type here that I've not actually heard before. Slightly lower pitch but but the first note in the phrase is lower pitch again. Over-all a slower tempo also, focusing on a smoother bend rather than pumping out high pitch phrases. 

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

Willow Tit Song Type 2 - MixPre-7374

Redpoll not doing so great in my area and overall in Wales I believe there are downwards trends so was happy to stumble across a small flock of around 10-15 that were drinking from an upland stream, along with larger flock of Siskin and Goldfinch, so it was quite noisy at the well. 

Redpoll Buzz Calls - MixPre-7484

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

Their song is very similar to their Sparrowhawk alarm call, in fact whenever Blue Tits sing, every other species is on edge lol. Sadly yet another common bird that's in decline so I always take the opportunity when I get one to record this species every year. Never take anything for granted. 

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

Blue Tit - MixPre7556

I'll always have a soft spot for Blackcap as they're fantastic mimickers and it really gives away whether you have a local bird or not. For example, I have a Blackcap on my local river that's very close to a Dipper nest and as a result, he mimics Dipper all day long, song and calls. This guy was in the middle of a forestry and it did have elements of Siskin,Chiffchaff and Crossbill in its song, so it's likely going to be a local. 

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

Blackcap - MixPre-7577

Nice to the these back in local clearfells, a sure sign that my Nightjar will soon be here too. Everything is early this year as we're having crazy heat for the time of year. -1c at night and 20c in the day time! that and we haven't had rain for almost 2 months...Not the April showers we are used to in the Uk at all. 

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

Tree Pipit Song and Calls - MixPre-7641

When these guys arrive, I'm pretty sure they don't actually stop singing.... it's just non-stop till the females arrive and even then throughout the summer they just keep going and going. Got to give it to them, they're pretty hardy birds. 

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

Willow Warbler - MixPre-7609

First time recording this species staying still for a change! they usually see me coming and dart off back down stream but this guy was too occupied in luring in a female. 

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

Grey Wagtail Stream S - MixPre-7653

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

Been a while since I've done any sound recording, mostly due to work but also due to health. Ear trouble to top the list of health issues which really set me back and despite it being permanent, I am finding I'm getting used to the changes so it's really nice being back at it again. 

I came to this location as previous visits saw quite a lot of curlew action but sadly I only really managed one close curlew at the start of the recording. I also left all the air and boat traffic in, it was too much for me to try and edit it all out. The best part of this recording for me is those mudflat bubbles just sizzling away non-stop, everything else is just a bonus. 

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

Goldcliff - MixPre-7747_

It's not very often my garden is as peaceful as this but it was pitch black and quite late at night, not a breath of wind, just the droplets falling off a few oak trees from the very light rain in the air. I get tawny owls all year around and they always bring the chicks to the garden to practise hunting but only 1 survived this year so just had him/her yapping away all night like this during the spring. 

Tawny Owl Fledgling Garden - MixPre-7716

There is nothing worse than recording in perfect conditions all day but then realising that 'perfect' doesn't exist, as I simple could not escape the sound of man. Wherever I went, even far from roads, it just seemed like a day that every farmer in the country was using his loudest machinery, but for this moment, I had a brief brake where everything just stopped, long enough for me to capture this relaxing moment on the coast. 

Gear: Sound Devices MixPre 6 ii + Schoeps Stereo Mk 2's  

Goldcliff High Tide Shoreline - MixPre-7764_01

This moment was infuriating as hours went by and I just waited and waited till a nearby farm shut the hell up for a moment as I wanted to capture the woodland nuts falling all around me. Literally the forest just sounded like it was raining nuts and seeds with barely a breath of wind. Whilst I was waiting I watched a number of Grey Squirrels enjoying said nuts and they weren't prepared to share so there was lots of vocal territory marking like this.  

Towards the end you'll notice his mouth sounds full, that's because it was haha, the entire time his mouth was full of nuts but by the end he couldn't resist chowing on a few, but not without still calling at the same time. 
Gear: Sound Devices MixPre 6 ii - Schoeps Mk 4 Inside Telinga Dish + Stereo Mk 2's

Grey Squirrel Autumn Bounty - MixPre-7824

I've always struggled to get a good recording of these guys as the dynamic range between the subtle percussion and their loud piercing trills is quite large. The best recordings I've heard of these have actually been close up microphones, which I hope to try one day but for now, this is about as good as I've managed to get so far. Only a few mimicry phrases I can pick up in this one, the most obvious being that Jackdaw but lots of Gull sounds in there too. 

Gear: Sound Device MixPre 6 ii - Schoeps Mk 4 inside Telinga Dish + Stereo Mk 2's

Starling Song Mimicking Jackdaw and Gulls - MixPre-7775

Just going thru some files from the spring and forgot to post this one. Likely because it was too short, the bird sadly flew off. I could have recording this combo for hours though with that cuckoo in the background too. 

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

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