During a severe wind storm, I revisited the yellow popular from this winter storm recording: https://soundcloud.com/acousticnature/tree-creaks-inside-an-oak

This time, I stuck a pair of EM272 microphones inside the tree cavity instead of putting my SASS in front of the opening. I mainly did this to protect the mics from the heavy rains that came during the night. 

I was really amazed at how well the tree insulated the mics from the outer world's sounds. Even the torrential downpour we received sounded like a gentle drizzle. 

When I popped the SD card into my computer the next morning, I was surprised that the popular made less noise than the previous recording, despite the increased wind speeds. 

I think this may have been due to 2 things: the warmer weather and deeper cracking along the the main trunk. I believe both these factors gave the tree more "wiggle-room" and caused less direct rubbing.

This recording is a compilation of 27 interesting clips throughout the night ranging in length from 3-111 seconds. 

Thanks for reading and listening ♫

Tree Creaks Compilation | 50mph Gusts

Spring arrives in our neighborhood 25/2/2022.

www.rupuranta.net

(MKH8020 ab80cm, 24/48, no processing, no mix, flac)

Deus ex machina - 25/2/2022 - Makholma Woods

Howling packs of wolves, Austowska Forest Poland
In the background beak clapping of Capercaillie

Wolws Augustowska JAREK - MATUSIAK

This is an edited excerpt from an overnight to morning recording made at the shore of the Coorong saltwater lagoon, for anyone who might be curious to dip in and get a taste of one way a Coorong dawn might sound, and how it did sound on this particular morning. The microphones were placed in amongst reeds near the tip of the point of land jutting out into the water, which can be seen in the track photo. This excerpt begins from around 06:25 (ACDT). Calm, cool weather conditions, with considerable condensation.

I've come to the conclusion that listening to recordings - and especially raw, unprocessed recordings - of the Coorong environment may be an acquired taste (although the taste may be acquired from a familiarity with other coastal environments and ecosystems with a similar kind of soundscape). The incessant 
 'Coorong roar' takes some getting used to, particularly when heard through headphones. It took me a long time to accept it and immerse myself in it; but eventually I found that other much quieter but higher-pitched natural details - like the calls of birds, and even the sounds of their interactions with the water of the lagoon and the air itself as they wing through it - can still be quite clearly discerned within the soundspace, without the aid of low frequency attenuation. The adjustment in my attention was more effective than an adjustment in EQ.* (A special thank you to Jan Eerala for helping to catalyse this intuition and shift in my perception (although it only works for natural sounds, of course).)

96/32 > 48/24. Edited excerpt, not processed.

Recorded on land of the Ngarrindjeri people that is now a national park.
_______________________
*Having said that, though, there are still situations in which I will use EQ for certain Coorong recordings: for example, when the subject is a specific detail, rather than the experience of the soundscape or soundfield as an integral whole.

2022.02.20 A Coorong Dawn. Waterline. Late Summer.

Enäjärvi is a small lake near town Pori only one mile from the Sea. The lake is tightly between a highway and a railway and the traffic noise is apparent even night time. This was the first place for an inland colony of Great Cormorants in Finland. Today there’s hundred of nests in two small islets in the middle of the lake. 

 I made an over night recording and this starts from 04.40 in the morning, half an hour before sun rise with the Cormorants just being active, though not as most. Though the lake was still mostly frozen the Cormorants have been more than two weeks there. This is the most silent moment of the night of traffic, still there’s a train passing.

The train is carrying coal (or anthracite) from Novosibirsk in Russia, a distance of 4000 km.  Each train is making two weeks or longer time on the rails to Tahkoluoto Port on the Finnish West Coast.  From there the coal is shipped rounding Cape Hope to Bangladesh. Normally there's  2-3 trains passing daily in spite of the sanction policy against Russia. 

Listen with headphones.

 http://www.rupuranta.net/weblog/filet/220421/

(AT4022 ab60cm MixPre2 32>24/48 no processing Flac)

Cormorant Night - 21/4/2022 - Enajarvi Finland

Recordings of Australian Shelducks flying overhead are no doubt 'a dime a dozen'; but, nevertheless, I like this recording for its own sake, but also because I was sitting there, in a grassy clearing between reeds and water, listening to the night, when the Shelducks flew over at 03:42, long before first light, when it was still dark, and the wind was just beginning to stir. (The photo was taken much later, at around 05:49). The lower-pitched voice is a male, the higher-pitched nasal voice is a female. And also because I was sitting in the midst of that part of the Reserve that is dedicated to duck hunters, expecting to hear and to record the worst. It was a surprise and a relief that dawn came, and not a single hunter was present, not a single shot was fired, not a single duck was killed. At least, not on my watch, through that one night and morning.

Unprocessed recording, excerpted from an attended overnight to dawn recording.

2022.04.03 Australian Shelducks Flying Overhead Before Dawn. Tolderol Game Reserve. Autumn

The Forêt des Cedres (cedar forest) is one of the most unusual of the forests and green spaces of the Luberon massif, given the oriental origin of these large trees. At an altitude of 727 metres, the cedar forest was originally planted with seeds from the Algerian Middle Atlas, back in 1861.

Due to it's altitude and distance from major towns and roads, the forest is very quiet and makes for a perfect recording location. I arrived an hour before sunrise intending to record the spring dawn chorus. As I approached the entrance to the forest I heard a nightingale singing so I slowly approached, getting as close to the bird's song post without disturbing it. I setup my mics using the "tree ears" technique: spaced omnis with the tree trunk acting as a natural baffle. 

Sony PCM A10 + 2 x Lom Mikro Uši (tree ears technique)
02.05.2022

Common Nightingale - Forêt des Cèdres du Luberon, France

Thunder, Huron County, Canada

Marco Lucchi: piano, synth and treatments
Michael Grunditz: piano and synthesizer.

Part of album:
https://marcolucchi.bandcamp.com/album/september-is-here-again

Marco Lucchi & Michael Grunditz - September Is Here Again

Audispur

An early morning in April under a fruiting fig tree in the Leuse, Ache N. Sumatra.

Under the fig tree

Tales from the understory
Nocturnal and twilight mostly 
Recordings by Vince Chanter

Under the fig tree

Trefoil