Southern Crested caracara (Caracara plancus)
Background species Southern Lapwing and...

Location: Perito Moreno National Park, Santa Cruz, Argentina
Date and time: 16 January 2010, 7:25 AM

Crested Caracara, Perito Moreno National Park

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

Lift off! This was spectacular beyond what I could have imagined. The starling murmuration at the Avalon Marshes in Somerset. Hundreds of thousands of birds departing from their roost on the reed beds. The numbers are hard to comprehend. First the silence - a timid chorus at this time of year - then the starlings start to chatter. Suddenly there is a build up of rumbling bass, like wind hitting the microphone or something about to erupt. Then the waves across the field, like ocean waves in the distance, both visually and sonically. And the lift off. The rumble becomes a satisfying silky carpet enveloping you overhead.

This repeats 3-4 times as different waves of departing starlings take flight. MAGICAL.

I edited 30 seconds at the end from when they've all left, to give perspective, so you can appreciate the decibels such a gathering produces.

Location: Shadwick Heath, Somerset, UK
Date and time: 25 February 2024, 7am
Habitat: Reed beds, Flooded plains

Gear (Associate Links):
Sound Devices 744T
Sennheiser MKH8060 and MKH30 in Mid-Side rig.
Nikon Z6-II https://amzn.to/4aWjeyZ
Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM https://amzn.to/4bmU24t
Sigma 70-200 F2.8 https://amzn.to/3Wpdrxu

Starling Murmuration Dawn Lift-Off

This is a montage of short sound effect samples of the complete clips available in the Narita Runway "Jet Pack" from Airborne Sound, here:
https://www.airbornesound.com/downloads/narita-runway-sound-effects/

It is a collection of 22 96 kHz/24-bit WAV files, professionally mastered with multi-format embedded metadata.

Narita Runway

Narita Runway Sound Library Audio Demo Preview Montage

Starlings perching on a power line in the Arney river catchment stretching Counties Leitrim, Cavan and Fermanagh in Ireland.

Species: Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Location: Kilteen Glebe, Mackan, Couny Fermamagh, UK.
Date and time: 21 December 2021, 5pm
Habitat: Lowland, farmland, lakeland

Spanish name: Estornino pinto 
Italian: Storno comune 
French: Étourneau sansonnet

Gear (Affiliate links)
Parabolic dish
Sennheiser MKH 8040
Sound Devices 744t
Nikon D750 https://amzn.to/3UN0D1m
Tamron 150-600mm https://amzn.to/3UTV8xY

Starlings On The Wire

31 dub

Starlings coming to roost on the eaves of our house's roof - a domestic situation. I managed to access the cavity through the loft space, and place a small lavalier microphone where I thought they were roosting. This was largely inaccessible to human-sized bodies so I tied it to a boom pole and the rest was guess work.

The racket they make and the mimicry skills these wonderful neighbours have, are something to behold.

Species: Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Location: Kilteen Glebe, Mackan, County Fermanagh, UK.
Date and time: 2 February 2021, 16h45
Habitat: Lowland, farmland, lakeland

Gear (Associate Links)
Nikon D750 https://amzn.to/3UN0D1m
NIKKOR 28-300mm https://amzn.to/4c2gwb8
Sound Devices 744T
DPA 4060

Spanish name: Estornino pinto
Italian: Storno comune
French: Étourneau sansonnet

Starlings In The Roof

About 3000 Barnacle Geese arrive in October to spend the winter in North Sligo. The Ballygilgan Nature Reserve is one of the best sites in Ireland for seeing these geese in winter. 

The geese breed in Greenland in the summer and spend the winter in Ireland. They graze in Lissadell – Maugherow area every winter until April, spending every night on the island of Inishmurray.* 

Species: Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis)
Location: Ballygilgan Lissadel nature reserve, County Sligo, Ireland
Date and time: 23 November 2021, 12h33
Habitat: Improved Pasture

Gear (with Associate Links)
Sound Devices 744T 
Sennheiser  MKH30 and MKH 8040 in MS configuration
Nikon D750 https://amzn.to/3UN0D1m
Tamron 150-600mm https://amzn.to/3UTV8xY
NIKKOR 28-300mm https://amzn.to/4c2gwb8

*Source: https://www.npws.ie/nature-reserves/sligo/ballygilgan-lissadell-nature-reserve

Barnacle Geese Grazing

A skein of Barnacle geese - mostly migrants from Greenland where they breed - approach and land the 'Goose Field' at Lissadel's Ballygilgan Nature Reserve.

In Winter it's an essential grazing site for a large flock of Barnacle geese (c. 3000), the winter freshwater pond also attracts other waterfowl and waders, and a cereal patch at the east end attracts wintering finches and buntings.*

In this recording you can hear the geese grazing after landing:
https://soundcloud.com/angelpgrandi/barnacle-geese-grazing

Species: Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis)
Location: Ballygilgan Nature Reserve, Lissadel, Co. Sligo, Ireland
Date and time: 23 November 2021, 11h45
Habitat: Improved Pasture

Gear (with Associate Links)
Sound Devices 744T
Sennheiser MKH30 and MKH 8040 in MS configuration
Nikon D750 amzn.to/3UN0D1m
Tamron 150-600mm amzn.to/3UTV8xY
NIKKOR 28-300mm amzn.to/4c2gwb8

*Source: www.npws.ie/nature-reserves/sli…dell-nature-reserve

Barnacle Geese Approach

This fire library focuses on objects that sizzle, ignite, and burn including, gas and electrical stoves, matches, torches, fireballs, flares, and liquid and solid sizzles. 

Library can be found at http://www.sonniss.com/sound-effects/fire-sizzles-ignites-oh-my/

Website Link: www.tommysarioglou.com


Fire, Sizzles, And Ignites...Oh my! Library Demo

I am a sound designer and field recordist. I love all things sound.

Fire, Sizzles, And Ignites...Oh my! Library Demo

TS Sound

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