February Day Near Combe, Oxfordshire

Image and Audio

a february dawn at combe, oxfordshire

Dawn rose misty over the fields and woods as I rested before setting off for home after a night of recording.

Audio: pheasants and owls, on the previous afternoon at Combe, Oxfordshire. I was hidden by a thick hawthorn hedge from the copse, so I just placed my microphones at head height within a foot (30 cm) of the hedge. The bird calls were quite quiet, so I used a 50 ft (15 m) cable to ensure any noise I might make would not get recorded.

Audio: Deer in the undergrowth at Combe, Oxfordshire. While I was waiting for the bird song, four small deer suddenly dashed through the undergrowth on the far side of the hedge. It was pure chance the recorder was running, but that's how it is sometimes - occasionally such surprises can turn out to be one's best tracks.