It's half an hour before sunrise in the Knepp Wildland scrubland and the dawn chorus is on glorious form. The blackbird dominates the landscape, making the most of it before the nightingales arrive.

Recorded at #KneppWildand with kind permission 31 March 2024.

#InspiredByKnepp #KneppDawn  #LoveScrubland #SoundscapesOfHope

Knepp Soundscapes #21 - The early spring dawn chorus

Recorded with permission from Knepp Wildland in March and April 2024.

Knepp Soundscapes #25 - Knepp underwater

My favourite time of year - the nightingales are back at Knepp Wildland bringing their song to the night skies to reach the overhead females migrating back to the scrubland.

I didn't hear this nightingale last year, but it was my particular favourite the year before. It's come back to the very same willow tree.

You can hear three other nightingales in the background and at times, tawny owls.

With thanks to Knepp for permission to record in their extraordinary landscape, so much loved by nightingales and turtle doves.

#InspiredByKnepp #KneppDawn

Knepp Nightingales #22 - The nightingale returns

When there's no one around the Nightingales party hard. This is what I reckon it sounds like.

Composed for the exhibition 'Inspired by Knepp', May 2024, from my field recordings at this pioneering rewilding estate. 

With thanks to Knepp Wilding for permission to record.

The nightingales party

Here these male nightingales are listening to each other and alternating their song, whilst regularly matching their song to their rival's. Respect? Flattery? It's unclear. Alternating singing is deemed to be less aggressive than singing over each other (acoustic-masking). 

Created for the exhibition 'Inspired by Knepp', 4-16 May 2024, at The Gathering, Knepp Wildland.

Nightingale field recordings, recorded with kind permission of the Knepp Wilding estate.

Nightingales - song-matching and alternating

Those pigs - I'm always trying to hide from them and they are always seeking me out. I made this recording in September 2024 at Knepp Wilding, wandering off leaving my recorder on the bank of the pond and my hydrophones in the water. I wasn't far away. But spotted fresh pig tracks on my return, and rushed to check on the kit. All in order.

Only today did I listen to the recordings and find out those naughty Tamworths had been sussing out my kit above water and below.

With thanks to Knepp Wildland for giving permission to record.

KneppSoundscapes #26 - The curious pig

What's that light snoring in the woodland? It was a summer's evening and the bats were on the wing. I'd never heard this strange sound before, coming from a piece of fenced-off woodland in a nature reserve.   One of my bird apps identified it as a barn owl. I later read up more to find that these were barn owlets hissing or 'snoring' to drop a major hint to their parents that it was time to go hunting for food.

  I came back with my parabolic microphone the next evening. These mics are perfect for recording from a large distance, as they magnify the sound significantly. This means I can record without disturbing the birds and their nest. 

The steady snoring of these barn owlets, is interrupted. I'm not sure what's happening, but neither owl nor magpie appear to be happy! Later, the steady snoring gives way to more frenzied hissing as the parent comes into the nest with the pickings from their hunting.  

At one point, the adult flew silently over my head, off to find more critters for its youngsters.  

Barn owls are listed on Schedule One of the Wildlife & Countryside Act and so receive additional protection during the breeding season.

Soundscapes of Hope #12 - The barn owlets

On a clear night, the purity of this nightingale's song pierces all but the hardest of hearts. 

Recorded with permission from Knepp Wilding on 19 May 2024 at 3.31am.

Knepp Nightingales #26 - On a clear night

A chilling soundscape created from autumnal recordings in teh heart of Knepp Wilding: the stags continuing to bellow despite the low flying chinook in the failing light, and later, the frenzied 'belching' of the fallow deer.

Created for the Inspired by Knepp exhibition this May 2024.

With thanks to Knepp for permission to record.

Inspired by Knepp - Deer vs Chinook

Tanked-up on testosterone, all reason is lost in the heat of the rut.

This dystopian composition feeds on my terror as the light fails and the rut ratches up a notch.

Created from my autumn field recordings at Knepp Wilding and created for the 'Inspired by Knepp' exhibition May 2024.

With thanks to Knepp for allowing permission to record, at a distance! Give these beasts space at this time of year.

This track is not available anymore.

Other tracks from Hazel Reeves