One of the first field recordings with my quad sub-cardioid array. There is a lot going on in this, listen for the fly-overs towards the end, see if you can hear the wings buzzing.
I put together throughout the last few months. The array is an Ambient “A-Ray” which allows great flexibility in mic placement. I am still figuring out how to transport it gracefully in the field.
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):
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.
