July 2016
Midyear is usually the time for a short UK trip. The Wildlife Sound Recording
Society holds it’s annual meeting and this is the best opportunity to meet some
sound recordists, having chats about recent trips, new equipment or this year,
the so called brexit.
On my way to the Rutland Water Reserve I visited some friends in the Netherlands
and Kent, spent a few days in Norfolk birding, reading and listening to some Northern
Wrens Troglodytes troglodytes, Dunnocks Prunella modularis and Common Wood
Pigeons Columba palumbus songs.
The latter species inhabited the camping site in bigger numbers and I really enjoyed
their matutinal song competitions and again was quite surprised by the song variability.
This is a recording I made early in the morning before I took the ferry back to the continent.
It was quite noisy due to the busy harbour of Folkstone, but I like the depth it creates.
PFR11922, 1-10, 160702 Northern Wren Troglodytes troglodytes, song, Dunnock Prunella modularis, song
Folkstone, UK, MS-Stereo, MKH30 + MKH8020
At the WSRS meeting winners of the last year’s annual competition were announced
and I’m glad to be amongst them. These were my entries for it:
category 01, single species and individual:
Siberian Rubythroat Calliope calliope, song
category 02, single species several individuals:
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops, song, excitement call
category 03, several species:
Thick-billed Murre Uria lomvia, Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis and Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla
category 04, habitat:
Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago, Greylag Goose Anser anser, Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus,
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis, Common Redshank Tringa totanus, Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa [limosa] islandica, Dunlin Calidris alpina and Arctic Tern Sterna paradisea
category 05, created soundscape:
Arctic Fox Vulpes lagopus, Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis
Thanks for the fabulous time goes out to: Erika, Brian, Pamela, Arnoud, Cecilia and
all WSRS members.