I have spent many hours lurking in the thorny scrubland at Knepp Wildland recording the dawn chorus.

The Knepp Soundscapes

Soundscapes of Hope

Be transported by this soundscape of hope, across the nature reserves of Sweden, from dusk until dusk once more. 

This soundscape was composed by Hazel Reeves from the field recordings made in Sweden in June 2023, in collaboration with guide and recordist Stefan Taylor.

The National Lottery, via Arts Council England provided a Develop Your Creative Practice grant. As part of this year of funding, the second Sculptural Murmurings workshop was delivered at Fabrica (Brighton) in September 2023. Movers and dancers improvised to nature soundscapes of hope, from Sweden to Knepp Wilding (in collaboration with composer Damian Montagu).

Sculptural Murmurings - Swedish Soundscape Of Hope

It's Friday the 20th October. I walk out into the Knepp Wildland as the light fails. It smells and sounds-like autumn. It’s the time for the rut when the fallow deer bucks fight for territory and females. I’m up in the oak tree platform, it’s now completely dark, and I’m surrounded. Bucks are belching and antlers are clashing in the woodlands to the left and right of me. I hear splashing in the darkness as a buck decides to cross the lagoon in front of me. A tawny owl calls. Planes fly overhead. I wish I could stay safely in the tree platform until morning light, but dinner calls, and I have to be brave.

#KneppWildland #Rewilding #DeerRut

Knepp Soundscape #19 - The fallow deer rut

Lay down and listen with headphones on!

This soundscape tells the story of Ditchling Beacon across the seasons, from January to December. All the recordings are made in exactly the same spot, a site of special scientific interest, captured with binaural/virtual reality audio recording (Sennheiser Ambeo headset). Importantly, the recordings are all made lying down.

The Layback with Nature listening event at Phoenix Brighton (DYCP activity) used this as the main track listened to over headphones. Participants laid down on colourful beanbags to get the immersive, binaural effect of the laying-down recordings. 

Funded by the National Lottery via Arts Council England.

Layback with Nature - Ditchling Beacon

My guide in Sweden, Stefan Taylor, mentioned these giant ant hills in the forest and that if I brought a contact microphone with me from the UK, we could try and record one. ‘Yes please!’ was my reply. Fascinating to hear the ants at work and checking out the contact mic that I’d gently inserted in the side of the ant hill. I have used this recording at the start of the Swedish Soundscape of Hope.

Soundscapes of Hope - The ants nest

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

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.

Inspired by Knepp - Deer rut frenzy

The extraordinary sound of white stork bill clattering resonates across the Sussex countryside for the first time in 600 years.

This soundscape was composed from recordings I made within the White Stork enclosure in April 2025, with the kind permission of the White Stork Project, based at Knepp Wildland.

The soundscape was created for the White Stork Festival in Storrington in May 2025, when the town was awarded the status of a European Stork Village.

The Knepp White Storks - soundscape of hope

These fantastical Birds of Sussex kept visitors amused while visiting my bird hide created from a former pig shed up at the SMARTsheds at Devil's Dyke.

Composed by manipulating field recordings made at SMARTsheds Devil's Dyke, Knepp Wilding, Ditchling Beacon, Aulus-les-Bain, Svartadalan.

Collaboration with illustrator Sandra Reeves.