A Magical Evening with Glossy Black Cockatoos
On one of the final evenings of our workshop, a group of us set out for Salt Caves Dam, to witness and record the Glossy Black Cockatoos coming in to drink on sunset.
We set up both terrestrial and hydrophone rigs, recording independently above and below the surface of the dam.
The hydrophones were filled with sound immediately, a rich symphony of aquatic insects fizzing away. However we had to wait quietly as the late afternoon ebbed before the glossy blacks came in. They timed their arrival just as the breeze stilled. A pair arrived first, and watched us unconcerned from a high vantage. After a while others drifted in, around 15 birds eventually, perching and calling back and forth before finally dropping down to the dam edge to drink just on nightfall.
Meanwhile kangaroos, black wallabies and an emu joined them, lapping noisily at the water’s edge. Once the glossy blacks had departed, drifting away again on stately wingbeats, the bronzewing pigeons took their turn, flying in noisily as darkness fell. Throughout, there was a noticeable dusk chorus of birdsong, and on several occasions Turquoise Parrots flew overhead (notably @ around 33-35min).
Terrestrial audio: This recording begins after the first pair of cockatoos had arrived, just before others began drifting in, and continues until nearly dark. Sennheiser MKH20s in SASS into a Sound Devices 722, positioned on dam wall toward southern side. Recordist: Andrew Skeoch
Aquatic audio: Pair of Aquarian H2a-XLR hydrophones into Zoom H5. Recordist: Leah Barclay
