Down through the ages, as I've done field recordings in Missouri, I've become used to most of them having a comfortable mix of frogs, crickets and other critters mixed with the chatter of hundreds of avian breeds. January, however, saw a noisy migration of Grackles and the sheer excess of them in our yard and trees was such that I HAD to record a slice of the soundtrack. Being the middle of winter, the birds are unadulterated by any other sound. Not necessarily a good thing!
The finished recording was frightening and disturbing in it's intensity and complexity; it reminds me of the work done by Remi Gassman for Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, more than anything else. The pattern of massing/the sound growing by the moment/and then all flying off loudly in one rush of thousands of wings is dramatic and chilling. Here is a slice of the full recording. Enjoy the sounds- you've been warned, though!
The MP3, 10:22 in length: January Bird Migration
Did the thunder frighten them into flying off or just stop them from chatting with each other?
Posted by: K | March 08, 2009 at 04:23 AM
No Thunder on the day I recorded this--- ALL sounds are produced by the birds themselves. Cheers.
Posted by: Mindwrecker | March 08, 2009 at 01:09 PM
Wow, after listening more closely, that thunder sound is the beating of all their wings. Must have been impressive to watch. Your field recording is great, but I get the opposite effect from it than you. That is to say, it sounds very relaxing and soothing to me. But then, I never understood the Hitchcock movie either...
Posted by: K | March 08, 2009 at 03:56 PM
Allow me to clarify- Since I've recorded lots of naturesounds over the years, this one is one that I considered the LEAST soothing of my files. Actually- that's not true- the one where I close-mic'd a bee's-nest is pretty difficult, lol.
Posted by: Mindwrecker | March 08, 2009 at 05:32 PM