Tree Lighting in Chico
Thursday, December 24th, 2009
Happy Holidays (Chico State Brass Band & Vocal Duet @ Enloe Hospital Tree Lighting):
Archive for 2009
Boiling Springs Lake – Marco Polo
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
Apologies for a missed opportunity this post: in our haste to get to Lassen Volcanic National Park for a much needed weekend getaway we left the camera at home so you will just have to visit on your own or look around here. Well the weekend getaway nature of this trip put recording on the back burner but it was a good opportunity to scout the area before lugging recording gear in…but I decided to lug gear anyway. We headed out from the Warner campground, a dusty national park campground that seems lightly visited, it’s just a mile or so from the trailhead to the lake itself.
I situated the mics and myself between two bubbling mudpots, much to Nicole’s concern and encouragement. There were plenty of other footprints where I was setup so I wasn’t too worried, though I did notice that the ground was physically warmer in some places, weird. Shortly after hitting “record” a curious couple spent a long time exploring the relatively small area frequently calling out to find the other. A Spotted Towhee was foraging in the area some calls and wingbeats can be heard..
UPDATE: I decided to mix and post my recording at Terminal Geyser, which is not really a geyser but a steam vent, at first it was a little boring to listen to but once I mixed in the 154° (67°C) bubbling stream I decided it was worthy:
These Lassen National Park recordings by GT Weddig are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Nature Sounds Society 2009 Workshop II
Sunday, June 28th, 2009
This is part two of the Nature Sounds Society summer workshop field report:
Sunday Morning we had an early 4:30am start up at Yuba Pass, dawn chorus, there are a few pretty loud Song Sparrow calls (at 3:19-LOUD) early in the recording also woodpeckers, and many others that I have yet to identify. The microphone array you are hearing is ORTF, though I also recorded a rear Blumlein pair. Please post if you are interested in hearing it.
Late morning as the group dispersed we visited Madora Lake which seems to be a stream fed lake though it may be a man-made spring. This stereo track was derived from a 4 channel, double MS recording. There are American Coots, Red-winged Blackbirds, Bullfrog and a persistently chipping that seemed to be a MacGillivray’s Wabrler. After this successful recording location and a small picnic lunch the 2009 Nature Sounds Society workshop came to a close. The recording below was originally part of a double MS recording on the gregga tree.
These NSS recordings and photos by GT Weddig is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Nature Sounds Society 2009 Workshop I
Saturday, June 27th, 2009At the end of June I attended the annual workshop put on by the Bay Area based Nature Sounds Society. Although this years workshop was lightly attended it allowed greater flexibility and mobility in selecting recording locations and activities. Dan and Sharon led us through through the expected amazing sessions that touch on art, education, listening, activism and hands on construction.
I have been to the workshops in past years but this year was a bounty of new recording locations surrounding the Yuba Pass/Sierra Valley area of Northern California.
Friday night we had a interesting presentation by hummingbird researcher Chris Clark on the tail noises that occur during mating.
Saturday Morning:
Sierra Valley 4:30 am brought out a bunch of tired lightly caffinated recordists to the usual spot at Marble Hot Springs, the scenery did not dissapoint. Somehow I felt that the diversity of species was not a large as it had been in previous years but it was still an enjoyable morning. I think you hear in this recording Wilson’s Snip, Marsh Wren, American Bittern, Red-winged Blackbird among others. This is an ORTF soundscape using Schoeps MK-21 sub-cardioid capsules.
The time is 6:20, we are still in Sierra Valley at the Marble Hot Springs Bridge, the predominant callers are Cliff Swallows, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Bullfrog, American Coot, Western Meadowlark, and the domesticated cow (distant). This is an ORTF soundscape using Schoeps MK-21 sub-cardioid capsules.
After breakfast in a picturesque mosquito covered highway rest area we were off scouting a new recording location. It was reported that Carman Valley is in the process of having it’s wetland restored in collaboration with the local ranchers (and land owners). Most of the recording at this location is a pastoral morning soundscape, but the end of the recording the Scrub Jays were acting up, so that is what you get to hear. From my perspective this will be a popular stop on future recording trips. This is an ORTF soundscape using Schoeps MK-21 sub-cardioid capsules.
These recordings and photos by GT Weddig is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Gray Lodge State Wildlife Area, Spring & Crop Duster May 2009
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
I have been out recording the last several weeks, just not finding the time to post here. Because of it’s proximity I have been exploring Gray Lodge more fully. This time of the year it means getting up pretty early, even though I only live 50 minutes away it means leaving at 4:00am or so to capture the dawn chorus. Which is precisely what I have done this week.
Every time I visit I hope to find out something new, the second recording you hear is a reminder that the wildlife area is surrounded by working agricultural fields, which need to be seeded which in the case of rice is done by bi-plane, at 5:30 on a Sunday morning. I would assume this is a similar process to crop dusting.
The first recording is the earlier recording, there is some distant traffic, trains and you can hear the bi-plane begin. There are occasional Wild Turkeys and American Coot among the Red-winged Black Birds Marsh Wrens and others, if you can identify anything please let me know and I will update, thanks. This is an ORTF recording using Schoeps MK21 capsules.
First Recording:
The recording below is an Jecklin recording using DPA 4006 capsules.
Second Recording (caution loud planes throughout, unedited except for some rolloff):
Ranch near Flournoy, California
Sunday, April 12th, 2009
This last weekend I finally made it out for an overnight trip to a local private ranch I have had my eye on. After obtaining permission from the owners I spent a beautiful night in California’s Coastal Range foothills. As you can see from the photos everything is still green from the spring rain, in a few weeks it will start to turn a shimmering gold. The oak trees show in these pictures The weather was partly cloudy and I was hoping to catch some frogs at the man made watering hole for the cattle that call this land home. In the evening recording you will hear some Pacific Chorus Frogs over a bed of Spring Field Crickets. This is an ORTF recording using Schoeps MK21 capsules.
I used the Gregga Array to support two stereo pair of mics the left side is a rear facing Jecklin disc and the right is a pair of MK21 Sub-cardioid micsin an ORTF configuration in a windscreen. Note how the wide stance of the tripod allows a very stable platform for the two arrays, no worries about cows tipping them over. In the background you can see my yellow GPS and weather station.
The next morning came too early after a fitful night of sleep, I had not counted on the moon being full and bright. The cooing of Mourning Doves and the territorial call of the Western Meadowlark. An early morning motorcycle broke the peace. This was recorded using the Jecklin disk barrier with some DPA 4006 omni mics.
These Flournoy recordings and photos by GT Weddig is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Rain at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area
Sunday, February 15th, 2009
I headed out this morning to scout an area known as Gray Lodge Wildlife Area which is managed by the California Department of Fish & Game. The weather was pretty overcast on the way out and I was hoping for a bit of sun. I didn’t get any sun but I got to use my trusty microphone umbrella. Most of the migrating waterfowl that I had seen on my initial visit a few weeks before was gone, but the American Coots, Northern Shovelers and of course the Mallards were still there.