The Sound of Wildlife
We'll be celebrating the unique sounds of birds and animals with a special Sound of Wildlife weekend on 20 and 21 April, when you’ll be able to meet sound recording experts and listen to the sounds of underwater wildlife as well as springtime birdsong.
The Wildlife Sound Recording Society (WSRS) team will be present at the Centre throughout the weekend with their specialist equipment to allow you to listen in to the sounds of the natural world and experience it in a new way.
An often overlooked aspect of natural history is the sound that birds and animals make in our increasingly noisy, human dominated world. Listening to wildlife is just as fascinating as watching it.
The underwater world is probably the loudest and noisiest of all the habitats on the planet, it's just that we don't usually get to hear it. For example, did you know that the loudest sound of any animal is produced by the pistol shrimp, found in most oceans of the world? With the use of the WSRS team’s hydrophones, special underwater microphones, you’ll be able to listen to amazing aquatic sounds.
Reserve manager Adam Salmon said “As humans we rely on sight a great deal, but throughout the natural world sound can often be just as important. On our nature reserve animals from beetles to bats use sound to communicate, find prey and defend their territories.”
April is generally a great time for ‘wildlife listening’ as birds and other animals stake their claim on their territories and try to attract a mate. Already a host of songbirds such as sand martins and willow warblers are calling and singing at the Centre with many having recently completed an arduous journey back from their wintering grounds in Africa.
