One of the things we did several years ago when recording the American
Dipper, that almost always lives in or around waterfalls or fast
moving water, was to find locations where the flow-rate was low and
divert the flow somewhat by re-positioning the rocks so that the
water was quieter. That worked pretty well and we got what we needed.
If there's a physical way to do that with the Swifts, you might have
good luck.
Bernie Krause
On May 26, 2008, at 2:03 PM, Nathan Pieplow wrote:
>
> Hello all,
>
> I am an active nature sound recordist based in Boulder, Colorado with
> a particular interest in birds, and I am new to the group today. One
> of the projects I am pursuing this summer is an effort to record
> Black Swifts (Cypseloides niger). There are a couple of us working
> on this project, and we have found a few places where the birds do
> not nest behind waterfalls, but rather in damp caves or other wet
> recesses. Nonetheless, the sound of running water is a nearly
> constant problem when recording these birds, and is the primary
> reason why they have rarely been recorded (or even heard) at any of
> their "usual" waterfall nesting sites.
>
> Here is my question. I would like to create a portable screen or
> barrier that I can set up to reflect and/or absorb at least some of
> the sound from noisy point sources when I am recording in the
> field. It would need to be lightweight and probably collapsible or
> foldable, but it would also need to be durable enough for field
> use. I intend to build it myself, hopefully using relatively
> low-cost materials. Although the Black Swift project is the impetus
> for innovation here, if I could create something convenient, I can
> imagine using it frequently and in many situations.
>
> Has anyone here attempted to create something similar? I haven't had
> any luck finding references to such a thing in the archives, nor
> online. I am interested in your ideas as to what kinds of materials
> to use and how best to put such a thing together. Looking forward to
> the discussion--
>
> Nathan Pieplow
> Boulder, CO
>
>
>
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