Field Notes
to accompany the album -
"Rockpool Reflections"
Music for the Renaissance Lute
with Outback birdsong from Mootwingee.
Composed, Played & Recorded by Andrew Skeoch.
Although 'Rockpools' is primarily a gentle music recording, it is interwoven with a tapestry of Australian outback birdsong. This natural soundscape was recorded at Mootwingee National Park in outback New South Wales, and represents the diversity of wildlife to be found in this extraordinary area.
What follows are detailed notes describing all the birds to be heard on this album. Needless to say, these notes will probably be of most interest to those who own the album, but we hope they make interesting reading nevertheless. Timings are for CD, but may be adapted for cassette listening.
The story of our early years with Listening Earth, and how we recorded this album.
Andrew with lute - On Location.
Track 1: Morning at Homestead Creek (soundscape)
Track 2: Wedgetails (Sarah's Pavan)
Track 3: Footprints
Track 4: Reflections in the Rockpool
Track 5: The Echidna's Wanderings
Track 6: Wagtail Antics
Track 7: Shared Secrets
Track 8: Hidden GorgeTrack 9: Awaiting the Dawn (soundscape)
Track 10: From Afar
Track 11: Morning Star
Track 12: Dewdrops
Track 13: Infinite Sky
Track 14: Heartland (Red Rocks, Blue Sky)
Track 15: Twilight
Track 16: The Homeward Path
Track 1: Morning at Homestead Creek (Soundscape).
0:51It is early morning among the gorges and creek flats of Mootwingee. A pair of Grey Shrike-Thrushes sing and call animatedly to each other in the sunshine (0:00 on...they can be heard calling intermittently throughout the first half of this recording). The "Crrr" of a Peaceful Dove can be heard (0:14, 0:18, 0:22...), along with the 'Min & Henry' mutterings of a Little Corella (0:27, 0:38, 0:45) and the distant rollicking call of a Grey Butcherbird (0:41). A Raven flies overhead with heavy wingbeats (0:48).
Track 2: Wedgetails (Sarah's Pavan).
5:00(A pavan is a style of slow dance from renaissance times. This one is dedicated to Sarah - it was originally composed as a birthday present. It is re-titled, as Wedge-tailed Eagles hold special significance for her.)
A Corella flies past (0:04 - 0:10) and later a small flock of Galahs (1:43...). Also to be heard are the downward whistles of a distant Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo (1:48 - 1:55).
Between music tracks:
The "Oo-le-goo"s and "Crrr"s of Peaceful Doves can be heard in the background as a family of Variegated Fairy-wrens forage close by, their soft contact calls to be heard before a pair of them duet with rich rippling song (4:56).Peaceful Doves continue calling, and the Grey Thrushes can still be heard occasionally in the background (0:38, 1:02, 1:30...), along with White-plumed Honeyeaters (0:54, 2:49, 2:52).
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters have a diversity of wonderfully wheezy and whiny whistles, here's one of them (2:56), followed by a Rufous Whistler beginning a series of plaintive "ee-chou"s (3:05).
Track 4: Reflections in the Rockpool
6:13Rufous Whistlers are versatile songsters, and here one can be heard going through his repertoire of bubbly trills & whistles(0:26, 0:39, 0:59...). They Grey Thrush is still around (0:25, 0:38, 0:58...), as is a White-plumed Honeyeater ("chick-o-wee" 0:36 and "chip! 4:37), and the "pink-pink" is from a Striated Pardalotte (noticably from 3:05 to 4:20). A Willy Wagtail calls repeatedly in the distance.
Tree Martins nest in the river red gums, and a small group of them are now swooping and fluttering overhead, twittering pleasantly (from around 5:44 on).
Track 5: The Echidna's Wanderings
5:20White-browed Babblers are sociable birds, living together in family groups of half a dozen or so. A family is collecting twigs for a nest in nearby low bushes, and keeping in contact with sneezy whistles (0:02 to 0:04, 0:21, 0:25, 0:27, 0:39 & 0:42...) and cat-like growling "miaouw"s (2:12, 2:22, 3:26 & 3:49).
An ever-active Willy Wagtail sings loudly, fanning his tail from a low branch nearby (from 4:26 on), and a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater calls again (4:23, 4:29 & 5:15).
The harsh chattering call is also from the Willy Wagtail (0:07), and the Rufous Whistler can be heard again (0:40, 1:35).
A Cockatiel, a beautiful grey and yellow parrot, gives a few shrill cries from a high branch (2:23 to 2:47), before...
...a small flock of them fly in to join in a communal preen in the sunshine, accompanied by soft contented trilling (from around 0:14 on). A curious Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater flies into a nearby bush, and hops around inquisitively, uttering lovely wheezy whines (1:08, 1:22, 1:39, 1:47, ...).
A small flock of Brown (previously known as Inland) Thornbills, with their characteristic twitterings (3:20 on) and downslured trills (eg: 3:44, 4:05), are gleaning for insects on nearby bushes.
A Weebill has been tagging along with the flock of Thornbills, and is now to be heard calling its name "wee wee-bill" (0:13, 0:21, 0:44, 0:50, 0:56...), while in the distance a Grey Butcherbird calls (0:14 & 0:35). A spectacular Red-capped Robin appears, giving its 'telephone ringing' call (1:00 to 2:00), before a Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo alights nearby, recognisable from its distinctive downward whistles (2:19 to 3:00).
It is now mid-morning, and the Tree Martins may be heard returning (3:20...). White-plumed Honeyeaters continue to call from the river gums (3:40, 4:03), and the Grey Butcherbird is heard again in the distance (3:57 & 4:17).
This concludes the half of the soundscape recorded amongst Mootwingee's gorges and creekbeds. On the second half of the album you will hear birds from the open sandplains, birds more adapted to the harsh conditions commonly found in the Australian Outback.
Track 9: Awaiting the Dawn (soundscape)
0:34It is first light, and across the ridges may be heard the wonderful sound of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters awaking (0:00 on). Their characteristic pre-dawn calls blend together to create a sound that is distinctive of the Outback.
The Spiny's continue, and the bass booming of an Emu may just be heard (0:38 - 0:50 &2:00 - 2:09).
Many Honeyeaters have pre-dawn calls that are distinctively different from their day-time songs. These dainty calls are from White-plumed Honeyeaters (3:03 on).
It is still dark, with the full moon palely illuminating the landscape. On such nights Magpies will call from their roosts high in the river gums up and down the riverbed (2:50 ish on...). Also the extraordinary deep booming of a male Emu carries across the plain (3:22 - 3:30 & 3:52 - 4:00).
Magpies and the Emu (0:41 - 0:48) continue calling.
A family of White-winged Fairy-wrens have been roosting in a thorny acaccia bush nearby, which now burst into song (1:55, 2:07,...). Others groups can be heard in the distance, along with the gradually intensifying call of a Chirruping Wedgebill (1:59).
The wrens continue, before the creaky voice of a Brown Songlark (sometimes described as being like the sound of a wire fence twanging) (3:21 to 3:56 & 4:07) is heard from across the plain.
A flock of tiny Zebra Finches are chattering animatedly among themselves as they search for seeds on the ground (from about 4:20), before taking flight (5:32). A Crested Pigeon flies past on distinctively whirring wings (5:16).
Track 14: Heartland (Red Rocks, Blue Sky)
5:19A Rufous Songlark sits on an exposed perch, giving a series of twangy whipcracks (3:35, 3:41, 3:51, 3:57, 4:02 ...), before flying directly upwards on a spectacular song flight (4:49 - 4:56), which is concluded by a dive down to a new perch. Also, a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater calls (3:27, 3:37...), and a family of Chestnut-crowned Babblers return to their bulky stick nest atop a Casuarina tree (5:09 - 5:18).
One of the most vibrantly colourful of all outback birds, the spectacular male Crimson Chat, calls from the top of a bush in the morning sunshine (1:11, 1:28, 1:32...).
A small group of Chestnut-rumped Thornbills fly up from the ground where they have been feeding, to begin a pleasant chorus of their distinctive "teuw"s (2:50 on). A Singing Honeyeater (rather misnamed), flies up to an overlooking branch and gives a series of "tirrup"s (3:29...)
Track 16: The Homeward Path
7:37In the distance can be heard Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters and groups of Chestnut-crowned Babblers (around 1:10 on). A Little Crow (short "Aak,aak,aak" 2:50-2:51) can be heard here alongside an Australian Raven (in the far background, longer mournful descending "Aaaar,aaaar,aaaar" 2:50 - 2:58). These birds look almost identical, and their calls are one of the few ways of telling them apart.
A Red-backed Kingfisher is also a treat to come across (three piping calls, 3:02). Also to be heard is the Rufous Songlark again (4:27).
A chorus of morning birdsong concludes the album, including White-plumed Honeyeaters (6:08, 6:36), a Willy Wagtail in the background, Spiny's (5:43, 5:58...), Emus (esp. around 6:00 - 6:18...), and Diamond Doves (5:51, 6:00, 6:13, 6:27...).
