Sound recordings taken in and around the villages.

May 2008 - Avington Park

Listen to this dawn chorus recorded at Avington Park SU 528 321 on Sunday 4th May 2008 5 - 5.40am.  The morning is still, cool and overcast (as it was last year), daylight steadily heralding the beginning of a new day. The recordings are taken in stereo using a Zoom H4 mounted on a tripod, situated by a medium-sized lake in front and to the left with parkland behind and to the right.  There are several large trees close by, with a large wooded area some 400 metres further behind.  Several bats are flying overhead, with a barn owl on the prowl totally silent in flight but unmistakeable in its brilliant white feathers, indeed not perturbed by my presence at all, swooping past as close as 2 metres - fantastic (click left picture below for a close up of the owl in flight).

A group of campers has pitched in the park, one of whom was gently snoring (not picked up in the recording, thank goodness) when I passed by.  In the recordings, ducks, coots, moorhens and geese are clearly heard, so is the resident peacock and a pheasant, but as well as the smaller birds listen carefully for a cuckoo (beginning of 1st recording), a tawny owl, and a woodpecker (4th recording).  Several jets play havoc in the 1st recording - I almost felt like jacking it in!  But the 4th recording is a delight, as a gaggle of geese fly in causing a flurry of activity with the overnight residents, and the woodpecker is heard ever so faintly.  Lastly, four little egrets swoop down from the treetops to land in the lake, unfortunately too distant to be audible; and a couple of horses emerge to take a gentle stroll, also too distant to be audible.  As I leave, several deer are in the park; the campers are completely unaware of my visit and what they have missed, although the cacophony of bird song continues unabated in my departure. 

Enjoy!

Bird Dawn Chorus Avington Park 4 May 5.00am - 8mins, mp3, 8.43MB

Bird Dawn Chorus Avington Park 4 May 5.08am - 8mins, mp3, 8.43MB

Bird Dawn Chorus Avington Park 4 May 5.20am - 7mins, mp3, 6.56MB

Bird Dawn Chorus Avington Park 4 May 5.27am - 7mins, mp3, 6.56MB

May 2007 - Worthy Down

Listen to the dawn chorus recorded at Worthy Down Station Bridge on Sunday 6th May 2007 5 - 5.20am.  The morning is still, cool and overcast. The recordings are taken in stereo using a Zoom H4 standing on the bridge at the same height as the trees lining the disused railway line below.  There is some road (A34) background noise, but nothing that deters from the overall beauty of what you hear.  Enjoy!

Bird Dawn Chorus Worthy Down 500am - 7.36mins, mp3, 7.13MB

Bird Dawn Chorus Worthy Down 510am - 8.58mins, mp3, 8.4MB