The Four Ages Of Sand

House Wren in Venezuela; 3D sonograms and comparisons with European Wren

I've been looking forward to recording the songs of Venezuelan birds on my upcoming expedition. How will the sounds compare to similar species here in England? Do they sing in the same range of frequencies? Etc. So I was very happy today when I found that I had recorded some short videos on the last trip, and on one clip the bird is singing.

Could I extract the sound and produce sonograms etc?

To my great surprise, the answer is yes. And the whole project only took a morning. The second half will be familiar to regular 4AoSers because I compare the song of the House Wren with its European equivalent:

House Wren in Venezuela; 3D sonograms and comparisons with European Wren

I've been looking forward to recording the songs of Venezuelan birds on my upcoming expedition. How will the sounds compare to similar species here in England? Do they sing in the same range of frequencies? Etc. So I was very happy today when I found that I had recorded some short videos on the last trip, and on one clip the bird is singing.

Could I extract the sound and produce sonograms etc?

To my great surprise, the answer is yes. And the whole project only took a morning. The second half will be familiar to regular 4AoSers because I compare the song of the House Wren with its Europoean equivalent:

In search of the Yellow-Knobbed Curassow. Trip to Merida, Venezuela

Butterfly Vlogging Panasonic SDR - S26 70X optical zoom

As I say, it's possible that there are more exciting video subjects than stationary butterflies, but it IS the first one of the year, and it does show off the remarkable zoom properties of the Panasonic SDR-S26. 

 In the second half of the clip, I was standing about 8 feet away from the butterfly, but I could still zoom fully to the 70X optical, and you can see individual scales on the blue marking at the bottom of the wings.

Woodpecker Vlogging; hunting Great spotted and nuthatch in the woods

Here's the promised vlog of my woodpecker hunting trip:

The Great Escape, ant style

Uni M bought me an ant farm (she knows the way to my heart)  just one small problem; no ants. Luckily I found some in the garden and enticed them into the farm with honey, stuck the lid on and waiting for them to start building tunnels.

When I came back later, they were all gone. I couldn't see how they had escaped so I put some more in and watched to see what would happen. The weak link in the set up? Air holes!

I went to Minsmere...

...but it was a bit rubbish!

See the Vlog for a short vid of a Shelduck, a Chaffinch, and something nuclear:

http://iainpetrie.typepad.com/4aos_vlog/2010/02/minsmere-the-mary-celeste-of-birding-sites.html 

Exotic Sunset at 100X magnification

This is the future!

http://iainpetrie.typepad.com/4aos_vlog/2010/02/exotic-sunset-at-100x-magnification.html

Lonely Graveyard Valentine

There's a 2 minute clip on the Vlog of my Valentine birdwatching trip round a graveyard at 8 o'clock this morning in Dunchurch.

 I'm all alone because UniM refused to get up. I sometimes wonder if she's got any romance in her at all...

http://iainpetrie.typepad.com/4aos_vlog/2010/02/valentines-day-birdwatching-in-a-graveyard.html 

The Green Man revisited: The power of 4AoS

Loyal, old 4AoSers will remember the hugely inappropriate sign for the Green Man in Potters Bar from the post (gulp) almost 2 years ago

 

Well, after being named and shamed by 4AoS, they've finally done something about it. I drove past the pub last night, and I've posted what I saw on The Vlog