Would there be a way to get a mic closer to your subject?
I'm thinking an RF mic or two strategically placed up close to nests
or favorite perching/clinging spots. Then your recording equipment
could be quite a distance away, with the mic preamp turned down low.
Zaxcom makes good RF mics and receivers, but they're expensive.
You could achieve similar results with a pocketful of inexpensive
recorders, such as the Zoom H2. The H2 costs about $180, including
decent built-in mics. The H2 has a tripod socket on its base, so you
could mount one on a long pole and reach up into the cave to the
nesting/roosting area.
The H2 accepts SDHC memory cards up to 16 GB. When the recorder
reaches a 2 GB file size, it saves the file, opens a new one, and
continues to record. Recording two channels at 24/48 uses about 1 GB
per hour.
The limiting factor for the H2 is battery life. Two alkaline AA cells
power the H2 for about 4 hours. You'll get better life from NiMH
rechargeable cells.
--oryoki
|