River Teign and birds in early spring

There is now (2023) a new version of this, in which I've used software to largely correct for the atrocious stereo imaging of the PCM-M10 recorder. Please ignore this version and go to https://freesound.org/people/Philip_Goddard/sounds/700445/ for a much better listen.

Recording made on 5th March 2013, beside the River Teign, Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK, where the river is just entering the woods of the Teign Gorge; the recorder is just in the fields that lead upstream to Dogmarsh Bridge on the Moretonhampstead to Whiddon Down road, and facing upstream, with the river on the left. Actually the river is much lower than during my February recording session here, and thus much quieter - so much so that I had to seek out a bit of water noise, which is produced here by a tributary stream coming in on the other side.

This was actually a secondary recording that I made while I was also making two consecutive recordings of wind chimes some 50 metres or so further upstream - and in fact occasionally those chimes can just be heard, though most of the time, if one is hearing them at all one would be hearing them only subliminally.

My recording studio for this set of recordings, by the River Teign just entering the Teign Gorge, whose wooded slopes rise ahead. What you can easily see is the recorder set up for the simultaneous wind chimes recording. With care you can just see the recorder for this recording - or rather, its light-coloured furry windshield. If you look at the very top of the nearest wooden post, if you have good sight you should just make out a slight light speck just to the left of it, apparently at the far end of the grass; that is it, pointing back upstream (i.e. in this direction).

I do not (yet) know the identity of most of the birds that you hear in this recording, though there are chaffinches, and, I think, a distant raven, and definitely occasionally some jackdaws. Indeed, the brief appearance of a flock of jackdaws flying above gives a particularly lovely sound if you are listening with a wide stereo separation. Generally, most of the birds would be woodland and hedgerow species.

Recording made with a Sony PCM-M10 on a Hama mini-tripod, using the built-in microphones covered with a Rode Dead Kitten windshield. I have used Audacity to apply a custom EQ profile to correct for the slight high frequency attenuation caused by the windshield and to correct for a broad 'hump' in the lower bass frequencies, which is initially audible in ALL my recordings.

Please note that the volume level of this recording has been carefully adjusted for listening purposes, and ALL my recordings so far are meant to be listened to with a volume setting that would give a realistic level for playback of CLASSICAL music (a large but not exceptional symphony orchestra). If you have the right volume setting, you should not need to change that setting from one recording of mine to another.

(Later note: This recording - with better sound than here - is one of my CD-quality downloads, and can be found in my e-Store.)

Please remember to give this recording a rating!