Sonic Musings

As dusk approaches Robins are making quite a commotion, flying and darting around in aerial maneuvers.  A couple of Great Horned Owls are starting their hooting which they’ll continue off and on throughout the night and then into the early dawn. I can hear some others way far off in the distance, reverberating across the mountain walls.  The faint and repetitive two note call of the Common Poorwills sets the rhythm. 

 

A Bobcat is about thirty feet from me slowly and stealth like walking through the high grass.  It stops, doesn’t seem to be too bothered by my appearance, and gives itself a cleaning.  This goes on for about ten minutes and then it continues on. Shortly after I hear a Deer close by.  I’ve got the mics and recorder set up behind some kind of Palm Tree looking bush.  I’ll leave the gear overnight and come back tomorrow to see what goes on in the late night hours.

 

I’ve always enjoyed hiking and roaming around in off the path remote areas, but as I’ve picked up Field Recording and dived into it a bit more that’s all been magnified.  I’m fascinated by what I come across and there’s always something new to learn.  Sometimes it’s just a subtle wind, the sound of particular leaves, trees creaking, other times I’ll hear a bird I’ve never heard, the cool echo and reverberations.  

 

It’s pretty surprising how the more you’re around a particular specific environment, you become extremely aware and tuned into the ebb and flow of seasonal change.  Things that at one point were foreign and you never even noticed all sink in and become a part of the consciousness.  I suppose it’s a heightened sense of being present.  You recognize the calls, the habitat, vegetation, the subtle nature of the living world and the rather cool balance of it all. It speaks to me on a number of levels and trying to capture that essence and vibe of it through sound is something I find to be really rewarding.