Klas and Bernie-
The old timers are comparing childhood to present day recordings. I know th=
at is true for me too but I can't hear and know it. Recording changes one's=
abilities-- it never occurred to me listen over time and for what I can't =
hear. Rob
On Jul 21, 2014, at 1:44 PM, Bernie Krause [naturer=
ecordists] wrote:
> Aside from the loss of entire terrestrial and marine soundscapes and the =
changes that have occurred by shifting climate =96 i. e. the N. American ap=
pearance of spring 2 - 3 weeks earlier than the early 90s =96 which affects=
density and diversity of wildlife across its entire spectrum of organisms =
on land; and warming waters with its acidification, pollution (noise & chem=
ical runoff) and salinity problems in the oceans of the world, especially o=
ver the past 25 years, nearly everything is changing.
>
>
> Well over 50% of my archive =96 where I began capturing whole soundscapes=
since 1968 =96 comes from habitats so seriously compromised that they are =
now either pretty much biophonically silent or have changed their texture(s=
) so radically that their signature is no longer recognizable. Because of t=
he California drought, the worst in over 400 years, we only heard two or th=
ree Pacific tree frogs from December through February this past winter=85ty=
pically the most abundant frog-voice time of the year. Dusk evening choruse=
s of crickets and other insects had begun in late May, fully 3 months befor=
e their usual onset in late August.
>
> In 1981, when I did an early F-1 digital spring recording at the foot of =
the Tetons in Wyoming, the dawn chorus combo consisted of warbling vireo, y=
ellow warbler white-crowned sparrow, Wilson's warbler, house wren, dusky fl=
ycatcher. In 2009, when I returned to the same spot at the same time of yea=
r, the grouping consisted of hermit thrush, Swainson=92s thrush, cowbird, g=
rosbeak, yellow-rumped warbler, dark-eyed junco, chipping sparrow, white-cr=
owned sparrow and there was far less density. Locals told us stories that t=
he natural soundscapes were now unrecognizable from the time of their respe=
ctive childhoods in the late 50s early 60s.
>
> Bernie Krause
>
>
>
>
> On Jul 21, 2014, at 6:43 PM, Klas Strandberg [naturere=
cordists] <> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Whatever, Rob, I think your question is about the most important kind of=
question that we can ask for now.
>>
>> Here at Telinga, I have recorded "soundscapes" since 1995. The number of=
birds around have lowered to about a third over the last ten years. All I =
need to do is count what is on my recordings. Some losses (doves, woodpecke=
rs, starlings) can be explained by looking at the number of hollow trees th=
at are gone with the forest companies and changing agricultural methods (or=
tolan bunting) - other looses have no explanation that I can understand. =
>>
>> Klas.
>>
>> At 23:18 2014-07-19, you wrote:
>>> Hi--
>>>
>>> Thanks everyone.
>>>
>>> Not likely to be sprays at this location. I agree with Vicky that every=
year has its own personality. Its a very lush summer so far; rain has been=
good. A few years ago early and extended warmth led to several additional =
generations of hatches during the summer.
>>>
>>> No large grasshoppers here like Curt describes. Mosquitos below average=
(considering our rain), gnats above average, fireflies average. Frogs are=
no longer calling-- not even greens and gray tree frogs. No Katydids, no c=
icadas-- just marginal field crickets and some moths. My sister drove up fr=
om Arkansas (from the south) last week; her car had lots of insects on the =
grille.
>>>
>>> I ran through my log mentions over the last few years. Cicadas usually =
start singing by now with field crickets established and katydids coming on=
. I'm at a warmer latitude than Curt-- about the same as Greg,
>>>
>>> It does have a creepy "silent spring" impact to hear utter silence at n=
ight in July. My guess is some local uniqueness from the effects of the co=
lder nights.
>>>
>>> Rob
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Jul 19, 2014, at 10:49 AM, Curt Olson [nature=
recordists] wrote:
>>>
>>> > We just got back from a couple days in St. Louis County, MN, north of=
Duluth. We heard some those grasshoppers that make a loud crackling sound =
when they fly (sorry folks, I don't know their name). Plenty of fireflies..=
. and biting flies... and mosquitoes, of course! It all seemed pretty norma=
l for mid-July in northern MN. I expect the racket should be increasing a l=
ot over the next couple weeks.
>>> >
>>> > Curt Olson
>>> > MinnesotaSoundscapes.com
>>> >
>>> > Rob D. wrote:
>>> >
>>> > >
>>> > > Have others in the upper midwest US noticed almost no insect singin=
g this summer?
>>> > > We had a very cold winter, a very slow fade-in spring and as yet no=
stretches of really warm days/nights.
>>> > > Could populations just be really low? I've seen only a few small cr=
ickets and small grasshoppers.
>>> > >
>>> > > Its very eerie to have the windows open at night in mid July and he=
ar nothing except a single cricket chirp for 2-4 seconds and maybe again in=
15 minutes,..
>>> > >
>>> > > Thanks
>>> > > Rob D.
>>> >
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------
>>>
>>> "While a picture is worth a thousand words, a
>>> sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie Kraus=
e.
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------
>>>
>>> Yahoo Groups Links
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> S-748 96 Tobo, Sweden.
>> Phone & fax int + 295 310 01
>> email:
>> website: www.telinga.com
>>
>>
>>
>
> Wild Sanctuary
> POB 536
> Glen Ellen, CA 95442
> 707-996-6677
> http://www.wildsanctuary.com
>
> SKYPE: biophony
> FaceBook:
> http://www.facebook.com/TheGreatAnimalOrchestra
> http://www.facebook.com/BernieKrauseAuthor
> Twitter:
> http://www.twitter.com/berniekrause
> TED Global talk (12Jun13): http://www.ted.com/talks/bernie_krause_the_voi=
ce_of_the_natural_world.html
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
|