Hi,
I have just had the pleasure of reviewing a copy of John Neville=92s lates=
t
CD set, Bird Songs =96 Western Boreal Forest. It is a fantastic set. Almo=
st
all of the recordings were made by John as he traveled across Canada=92s
Boreal Forest. Most of the recordings are from Saskatchewan and Alberta.
The dialects you hear are of the birds from that region. In the narration
he often gives a little extra insight into the species or into the
recording. He has not limited himself just to birds. There are a few
mammals, including Deer, an interesting recording of a Black Bear, and
amphibians which are part of the Boreal soundscape. Some are very
interesting. I never realized how much a Green Winged Teal could sound lik=
e
a jet plane but he has managed to capture a recording of it. He has a
excellent recording of the song of the rarely recorded Hawk Owl.
John=92s recordings sound very natural. On some bird song CD=92s some of=
the
recordings appear to be of highly agitated birds which have been enticed t=
o
vocalize by tape playback. The birds on John Neville=92s CD set sound like
they do when you are just enjoying their song in their natural surroundings=
.
John has stated that his own philosophy =93is to present bird sounds in a w=
ay
that anyone can recognize them. If more people recognize the critters then
more space will be saved and protected for birds. I think knowledge of
wildlife is critical for the natural world in an environment dominated by
man.=94
Each species is on a separate track in the CD which makes access easy. The
set is arranged with them more common birds you would encounter in the firs=
t
group followed by the following groups of birds and other animals:
warblers, sparrows, raptors, shorebirds, waterfowl, marshes, mammals and
rodents, and finally gulls. There are 55tracks on the first CD and 52 on
the second.
My husband and I record natural sounds and realize the tremendous amount o=
f
patience and work it takes to get each of the clips on this CD set and to
get clips of the high quality that appears on these recordings. Each is
like a painting of this very special region, a work of art. If you love th=
e
boreal forest you will love this CD set and the insights it brings into the
sounds of this marvellous region of the world. If you love birds you will
enjoy these very fine recordings.
It can be ordered from John=92s Neville Recording web site:
http://www.nevillerecording.com/
Usual disclaimer I have commercial interest in this produce =96 just love g=
ood
bird song recordings
Barb Beck
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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