Thank you so much to everyone for your help. Please let me know if I am =
not responding in the correct format as I am new to this and am still figur=
ing out yahoo groups (I already emailed this once and I don't think it sent=
but I apologize if it did and you get this twice).
I really appreciate all the help. I am so excited to begin recording so=
ngs (I think I'm already addicted!). I recorded some songs last summer on =
a cheap digital camera but the wind and birds in the background were so lou=
d you couldn't hear the song very well. I am still hoping to analyze those=
songs but I have had trouble finding free softward to do so. I tried Syri=
nx and Ravenview (Cornell Lab of Ornith) but was unable to make a spectrogr=
am with frequence in Hz which is what I'm really interested in looking at f=
or right now. Does anyone have recommendations on this? I'd also be inter=
ested in any archived rail calls that I could analyze. Does anyone have an=
y recommendations of sites to search? I triend the Cornell Lab of Ornith s=
ite and a couple of other places I googled but didn't have a lot of luck.
To answer Rob's questions:
I think it is ok if they react a little to my presence (I don't need a reco=
rder that will record when I'm not there). I am interested in studing the =
effects of broadcast surveys on rail calls so I will play their calls and r=
ecord how they respond. I am especially interested in determining gender d=
ifferences in their calls (differences in frequency are most likely but I a=
lso want to look at rate, legnth, and other vocal characteristics). I am t=
hinking that I should make spectrograms of the calls and anaylze difference=
s from those (any input anyone has on this would be appreciated too...I am =
very new to this and trying to figure it out on my own up until now).
I am not planning on documenting visual behavior although this would be =
interesting. I usually can't see the rails when they call (the wetland veg=
etataion is so thick) but they are calling from their nests or close to the=
ir nests usually so I could, in theory, watch the behavior from afar I gues=
s if I had a video near the nest. Mainly I am interested in vocals though.=
I do the broadcast surveys from a kayak on a pond with a wetland fringe. =
The birds hear the broadcast of their call, come close to the edge of the =
water (but still hidden in the thick vegetation usually) and respond.
I am worried about background noise (wind and other birds) because I don'=
t want it to mess up the accuracy of my spectrograms (would it?). I can ge=
t within 1-3 meters of the birds when they are calling but sometimes it is =
difficult to determine the exact spot they will call from (because I can't =
see them in the thick vegetation-- they might move a little and then call) =
so it is difficult to pinpoint where exactly to point a recorder.
Thank you. I'm so glad I found out about this listserve and am thankful=
for everyone's generous help.
Ellen
--- In Rob Danielson <> wrote:
>
> At 11:29 AM -0500 3/4/10, Ellen Robertson wrote:
> >
> >
> >Hi Nature Recordists
> >I am a graduate student at the University of Maine studying
> >Virginia rails and soras (wetland birds) and I am interested in
> >recording and studying their songs as a part of my project. Do you
> >have any recommendations for fairly cheap but decent recording
> >equipment? The birds I am studying call from very wet, thick wetland
> >vegetation. I can get within about 1-2 meters of them calling. Do
> >you have any recommendations on whether to
> >use a parabolic or a shotgun mic? For the recorder I am looking at
> >the Edirol R-09...do you have opinions on this one or recommendations
> >for others? If I did a shotgun mic I was looking at the AudioTechnica
> >AT835 or the Azden Sgm-2X. Any recommendations/suggestionson these?
> >I have also been reading about phantom power and am a little confused
> >about this and if I need it or not. Do you know?
> >Thanks so much for any help you're able to give! I really appreciate it!=
!
> >Sincerely,
> >Ellen Robertson
>
> =3D =3D =3D
>
> Hi Ellen and welcome to the list!--
> Can you tell us a little more about your interests in their songs? Do
> you want to capture typical interactions and songs in the wild or is
> it okay if they react to your presence? Will you be noting and
> documenting visual behaviors too? You mention gear that is often used
> to help isolate calls, are there concerns about background sounds
> interfering or are you after extremely close-up and detailed
> vocalizations? What is the final application for the sounds? Rob D.
>
> =3D =3D =3D
>
>
>
> --
>
|