Bringing nature to you in sounds and images
Posted in In Nature:, India, New Releases, Travel on Dec 22nd, 2008
“But you will not be finding any birds singing in that area sir!” My informant smiled reassuringly at me from behind his desk.
My heart sank. “How do you know?” I replied.
“It is part of my area as Field Officer for that park, and I never hear any birds in that area.”
“But it is the […]
Posted in Australia, In Nature:, New Releases on Oct 21st, 2008
To see budgerigars in the wild is a wonderful experience. In the drier parts of Australia, they are found in sometimes huge flocks, taking to the air with a roar of wings, their green and yellow plumage flashing against the blue sky. When they alight, trees can be full of chattering budgies, clustering together, preening […]
Posted in Australia, In Nature: on Oct 20th, 2008
Spring is well underway around home here in Victoria, and the bush is alive with birdsong. We’ve been out and about recording in recent weeks, with some lovely results.
In late September, Sarah and I undertook a short (but adventurous!) field trip to Mutawintji National Park in outback NSW (more later!).
We arrived home just in time […]
Posted in In Nature:, Thailand on Sep 3rd, 2008
A Rufous Woodpecker flew across the open meadow, toward the grove of pine trees in which I was sound recording. It landed on a tree nearby, and I could see its lovely, rusty plumage illuminated by the first rays of morning sunlight. They defy gravity, these large woodpeckers, clinging to tree trunks with formidable claws, […]
Posted in Australia, In Nature:, Understanding Nature on Sep 3rd, 2008
Frog choruses are very appealing, and make some of the most musical of nature recordings. Which is odd in a way, because frogs have very little vocal expression. Sure, they make great noises, but they are unable to modify their vocalisations or express feeling in the way that mammals or even birds are able to. […]
Posted in Australia, In Nature: on Sep 3rd, 2008
There are times when nature’s sounds and the physical landscape come together to create a moment that is utterly magical. Such an occasion involved the voice of one of the world’s most sublime songbirds, the Pied Butcherbird, and the cathedral-like acoustic of Ormiston Gorge in the Australian desert.
The recording we made of the butcherbirds in […]
Posted in Australia, In Nature: on Sep 2nd, 2008
The average time that visitors stay at Uluru (Ayres Rock) National Park is only one and a half days. Which is not only surprising, but very sad, as Uluru is far more than just a picture postcard to be ticked off the tourist itinerary.
Situated on the edge of the great western desert, Uluru is not […]
Posted in Australia, In Nature:, New Releases on Aug 22nd, 2008
When Sarah and I first began Listening Earth in 1993, I had no training or guidance in how to go about recording nature sounds. I simply turned the recorder on when something interesting caught my ear; a particular species calling, or a pleasing harmony in the sounds around me. As soon as the subject of […]
Posted in In Nature:, New Releases, Thailand on Aug 21st, 2008
Being in a tropical forest in the depths of night can be one of the most relaxing and meditative experiences for me. In total darkness, with a chorus of nocturnal insects chiming in the night air, I would describe it as being immersed in a hypnotic sound bath. Very peaceful.
So I wanted to create a […]
Posted in Australia, In Nature: on Aug 8th, 2008
Swift Parrots (Lathamus discolor) are pretty little creatures. Not only are they beautiful birds, but there are estimated to be only a few thousand of them left in the wild.