Hello Richard,
Thank you for your <naturerecordists> advice on documenting
recording data. Vicki Powys, whose opinion I value, was complimentary about
the British Library National Sound Archive, and I have, for some
considerable time, been thinking I should ask whether you would like some
lyrebird recordings for the Archive.
I have made a few recordings of Superb Lyrebirds, but my main interest has
been in documenting, by sound recording, the vocal behaviour of Albert's
Lyrebirds ("Emu", volume 96, pp 258-275, gives an indication. If you don't
have access to that Journal, let me know and I'll post you a reprint).
My first recording of M. alberti was on 21.06.68 - with a Uher 4000 Report L
(which, BTW, still makes a pretty good recording) - and I'm still getting
much satisfaction (and some frustration) from the challenge that lyrebird
recording presents.
I have good clear mono recordings (mic on cable near bird) from a number of
locations throughout the Albert's Lyrebird range, which however, is quite
small in extent. There are marked locality differences in their
vocalisations. Any one recording lasts from a quarter of an hour or so up
to over an hour.
When I say, "good", that requires one qualification: the dynamic range of
an Albert's Lyrebird near to the mic., is simply beyond the capacity of any
analogue recorder I have used. Long ago, I learned to accept that if the
recording level is high enough for an acceptable recording of the softest
notes, it will distort the very loud territorial songs.
I am delighted to find that a Tascam DAT handles it very nicely, but having
passed my allocated 'three-score-years and ten', I may not get to repeat my
recordings in all areas: the work is effectively limited to June and July,
and I reckon on needing a minimum of three days to get a satisfactory
recording of one individual - and the day of recording must be without
appreciable wind or rain.
I have not, alas, been as methodical in documenting recording data as I
should - recorder, microphone, location, date and time, being about my
limit. With respect to the items on your list, see below.
If I send you recordings, it would be by copying digitally to a Mac G3
computer using Peak LE, and writing to CD using Toast, at 4X with a CD
writer that has TEAC 'works'.
I submitted 2 minutes of lyrebird song as an entry, "individual" class, in
the current WSRS competition, and indicated that I wished it to be
considered for the fieldcraft award. Kyle said it sounded good, so it seems
likely that it will appear on a WSRS CD - maybe the next. I suggest that
you wait until you have been able to listen to it, then reply to my question
which is:
What would you like for the Sound Archive (assuming you want Australian
species at all):
* one good Albert's song session;
* two or more to give an indication of locality differences;
* any Superb Lyrebird recording, or have you enough of that species
already.
Sincerely,
Syd Curtis (Brisbane, Australia)
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Regarding the data you normally seek, for my lyrebird recordings -
* Recordist's name - OK
* Tape reel/disc no - the date usually has to suffice, but only rarely have
I made more than one lyrebird recording in a day.
* Equipment (field recorder & tape speed if open-reel; microphone(s) - OK
* parabola (if used) diameter and focal length) - OK for diameter; not for
focal length - unless someone can tell me how to measure it.
* other technical details ; mono/stereo; equalisation, filtering, noise
reduction (which should be used sparingly, if at all) - OK
* Date - OK
* Recording location (Country/region/district/locality (with latitude,
longitude and altitude, if known) - probably OK. Certainly can name
the location; not sure how accurately I could give the lat./long.
* Habitat - to go beyond 'sub-tropical rainforest' is very much a
specialist's job, but probably not necessary. It's all Albert's Lyrebird
habitat, and the total range of the species is only about 100 miles N/S and
less E/W.
* Weather, if exceptional - if wet or windy, the recording wouldn't be worth
sending to you ... and in general I wouldn't have recorded.
* In captivity? - there are no Albert's lyrebirds in captivity, and in any
case vocalisations of captive lyrebirds would not be relevant to my interest
in the species' behaviour in the wild.
>
> (The above data often applies to a whole tape/disc; if any of them change,
> they need to be indicated against the relevant recordings)
>
> With each recording:
* Cut or track number - a song session lasts up to an hour or more, so it is
unlikely that I would be sending you a recording from a tape where there are
other tracks on it.
* recordist's reference number (if used) - not applicable.
* local time of day (24-hour clock for numbers in the form 1230 hrs, 0845
hrs. Add BST/GMT, etc. If details are unavailable, use e.g. dawn, dusk,
evening) - OK
* principal species name (or track title, e.g. 'dawn chorus'). - OK
* visual identification at the time of recording? - never with lyrebirds,
but unnecessary.
* museum specimen number and location, if animal collected - Not applicable.
* number, age and sex of animals - always a single mature male, age unknown.
* type of sound (e.g. song/call/drumming/stridulation) - always display song
* sound description - can describe in as much detail as desired in terms
discussed in the Emu paper. (Can identify most but not all of the mimicry
if desired.)
* behavioural context - OK
* behavioural description - never see the bird, so can only say, "display".
* distance from subject - for the recordings I contemplate sending you, the
mic is on a long cable and I would be unable to nominate the precise length
of cable. The mic would be placed 1 to 3 metres from where I anticipate the
bird's beak will be. It varies somewhat, as I have to find something to
hang it on, and it must be inconspicuous. And as I can't see the bird when
I'm recording ...?
* background sounds - generally little or none, and where there are any they
are usually quite obviously in the background. Lyrebirds are winter
breeders so there's not much sound from other species. On the rare occasion
where another species has called near the mic., I would certainly identify
that.
* temperature - not applicable
* recording quality note (especially factors that detract from the
recording, e.g. 'microphone interference') - OK
* recording notes: for other data that does not fit in the preceding fields
a note of any confidential data that you do not wish to be revealed in a
public database - shouldn't be any. (I assume commercial use without
prior specific approval of the recordist is not allowed.)
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