Posts tagged ‘sounds’
audio, soundscapes posted by listentoafrica on Nov 1st, 2009
We spent several evenings sitting on the jetty at Tendaba Camp on the south bank of the River Gambia, listening to the sounds of the river at dusk. In this soundscape, waves are slapping against the jetty while, in the background, a tree-full of weaver birds sing their hearts out before nightfall. Best listened to in stereo.
Date and time recorded: 18:36 local time, 15th October 2009
Location: Tendaba Camp, The Gambia (view on map)
Equipment: Sennheiser MKH30/40 to Fostex FR2LE
Copyright: Listen to Africa
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Tags: africa, audio, river gambia, sounds, soundscapes, tendaba camp, the gambia, water, waves, weaver birds
audio, soundscapes posted by listentoafrica on Oct 22nd, 2009
This soundscape was recorded at dawn in a derelict old camp near Bessi, not too far from the southern bank of The Gambia River in The Gambia. A lot of the former hotels and camps we came across on the south side of the river have been reclaimed by nature since the southern road disintegrated into a bumpy track – bad news for the Gambian tourist industry but good news for The Gambia’s 576 bird species. This was recorded using our new mics and, to celebrate, we’re keeping it long (10 minutes). It’s best listened to in stereo.
Date and time recorded: 06:44 local time, 12th October 2009
Location: Near Bessi, The Gambia (view on map)
Equipment: Sennheiser MKH30/40 to Fostex FR2LE
Copyright: Listen to Africa
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Tags: africa, audio, bessi, birds, birdsong, field recordings, gambia, nature, sounds, soundscapes, wildlife
audio, soundscapes posted by listentoafrica on Sep 14th, 2009
As we’ve mentioned, it’s rainy season in Senegal. Outside our hut in Le Thiossane, Senegal, was a vase-shaped water collector, covered by a metal plate to keep out the leaves. When the rain fell on the plate, it made a wonderful drumming sound. We recorded this near the start of one lunchtime downpour, moving the microphone closer to the plate during the recording – and you’ll be able to hear the rain getting heavier as the recording goes on.
Date and time recorded: 12:07 local time, 6th September 2009
Location: Near Mbodiene, Senegal (view on map)
Equipment: Audio-Technica AT897 via FEL MicBooster MB-1 to Fostex FR2LE
Copyright: Listen to Africa
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Tags: audio, metal, rain, sounds, soundscapes, water
audio, wildlife posted by listentoafrica on Sep 14th, 2009
This flock of Village Weavers was busy building nests in a tree just across from the restaurant in the Bandia Reserve. Every now and then the whole flock would suddenly go quiet for one or two seconds before starting up again. In this recording, taken just before the skies opened to rain, we captured one of these silences.
Species: Ploceus cucullatus
Common name: Village (Spotted-Backed) Weaver
Date and time recorded: 13:47 local time, 31st August 2009
Location: Bandia Reserve, Senegal (view on map)
Equipment: Audio-Technica AT897 via FEL MicBooster MB-1 to Fostex FR2LE
Copyright: Listen to Africa
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Tags: africa, audio, bandia, birds, field recordings, flock, nests, ploceus cucullatus, senegal, sounds, spotted-backed, village weaver, west africa, wildlife
audio, soundscapes posted by listentoafrica on Sep 14th, 2009
Pirogues are small, wooden fishing boats common in this part of Africa. We took this pirogue from Fadhiout in Senegal to visit the nearby Ile aux Coquillages, or Island of Shells. As you’ll hear, this pirogue was punted by a wooden pole, although some pirogues are propelled by outboard motors, paddles or sails. The flat-bottomed pirogues are designed to be able to navigate shallow areas like these wetlands; you should also be able to hear the moving sand on the sea bed. Around us, groups of men fished with nets and older women waded through the water, feeling for oysters with their feet.
Date and time recorded: 13:04 local time, 2nd September 2009
Location: Near L’Ile aux Coquillages, Senegal (view on map)
Equipment: Audio-Technica AT897 via FEL …
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Tags: africa, audio, boats, fadhiout, ile aux coquillages, joal, pirogues, punting, senegal, sounds, soundscapes, water, west africa
audio, wildlife posted by listentoafrica on Sep 14th, 2009
With apologies to any more sensitive folk who may find this distressing, here’s a python (kept in captivity) killing a chicken at Le Thiossane camp, where we also recorded the pig, hyenas and jackals. At the beginning of the recording, you’ll hear the chicken – which had just been thrown into the enclosure – clucking away, oblivious to the nearby python. We were amazed at how quickly the python struck, and how quickly it was all over for the chicken. The photo was taken around half an hour later.
Date and time recorded: 14:33 local time, 3rd September 2009
Location: Near Mbodiene, Senegal (view on map)
Equipment: Audio-Technica AT897 via FEL MicBooster MB-1 to Fostex FR2LE
Copyright: Listen to Africa
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Tags: africa, audio, chicken, field recordings, python, senegal, snakes, sounds, wildlife
audio, wildlife posted by listentoafrica on Sep 11th, 2009
OK, so it’s not exactly Chris Watson‘s snoring cheetah, but we’re fond of this recording, and we’re filing it with our wildlife sounds for want of a better category. This sow – living at the same camp as the hyenas and jackals we recorded – was trying to get scraps of food from the bottom of her trough, and blowing bubbles to stop the water getting up her snout…
Date and time recorded: 11:07 local time, 30th August 2009
Location: Near Mbodiene, Senegal (view on map)
Equipment: Audio-Technica AT897 via FEL MicBooster MB-1 to Fostex FR2LE
Copyright: Listen to Africa
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Tags: africa, audio, bubbles, domesticated, farm animals, grunting, pig, senegal, snorting, sounds, wildlife
audio, wildlife posted by listentoafrica on Sep 11th, 2009
These two ten month old, orphaned spotted hyaena pups (reared in captivity) were still being bottle fed, partly – a task which both they and Alain (the Frenchman raising them) seemed to love. Here, you can hear Alain feeding them breakfast – four or five bottles of milk each, slurped down in record time.
Species: Crocuta crocuta
Common name: Spotted Hyaena (Hyena)
Date and time recorded: 09:28 local time, 31st August 2009
Location: Near Mbodiene, Senegal (view on map)
Equipment: Audio-Technica AT897 via FEL MicBooster MB-1 to Fostex FR2LE
Copyright: Listen to Africa
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Tags: audio, breakfast, crocuta crocuta, field recordings, hyaenas, hyenas, nature, podcast, senegal, sounds, spotted hyaenas, wildlife
audio, wildlife posted by listentoafrica on Sep 11th, 2009
As well as three jackals, Alain is raising two orphaned spotted hyaenas, now ten months old, which he is also hoping to release into a reserve one day soon. Raised almost entirely in captivity and accustomed to interacting with humans, it was amazing how much this pair resembled pet dogs in their behaviour – although their vocalisations, especially this contact call, were unmistakably hyaena-like.
Species: Crocuta crocuta
Common name: Spotted Hyaena (Hyena)
Date and time recorded: 13:18 local time, 30th August 2009
Location: Near Mbodiene, Senegal (view on map)
Equipment: Audio-Technica AT897 via FEL MicBooster MB-1 to Fostex FR2LE
Copyright: Listen to Africa
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Tags: africa, audio, field recordings, hyaenas, hyenas, nature, senegal, sounds, spotted hyaena, vocalisations, west africa. crocuta crocuta, wildlife
audio, wildlife posted by listentoafrica on Sep 11th, 2009
These three jackals were hand reared by Frenchman Alain in Western Senegal after they were orphaned (he intends to release them into a reserve if/when possible). Their vocalisations were extremely diverse, including barking and the growling and spitting you’ll hear in this recording. They were especially vocal when the hyenas kept nearby started whining and when humans approached.
Date and time recorded: 17:23 local time, 30th August 2009
Location: Near Mbodiene, Senegal (view on map)
Equipment: Audio-Technica AT897 via FEL MicBooster MB-1 to Fostex FR2LE
Copyright: Listen to Africa
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Tags: africa, audio, captivity, field recordings, growling, senegal, sounds, spitting, vocalisations, wildlife
Soundscape: The River Gambia 
We spent several evenings sitting on the jetty at Tendaba Camp on the south bank of the River Gambia, listening to the sounds of the river at dusk. In this soundscape, waves are slapping against the jetty while, in the background, a tree-full of weaver birds sing their hearts out before nightfall. Best listened to in stereo. 
