271 Wild breezes in the reeds - spring along the Thames Estuary

This soundscene was captured two weeks ago from a rackety wooden fence beside a grass meadow. Reeds are growing to right of scene, waving and hushing in strong gusts of spring warm wind. Centre, a view out across the meadow. Left of scene, over a rough track and an overgrown strip of marshy land is the Thames Estuary. Above, from time to time, skylarks. Hidden not too far off in a thicket, a cetti's warbler. Various other birds come by, each a pleasure to hear, with its own unique estuary sound.

It's a scene that feels wide open and exposed. It's lashed by the weather. Strong gusts and breezes, and quick whispering winds. But being the end of May, it's warm. The sun is radiant. Its energy heats the ground, creating deliciously warm sweetly scented banks of moving air. Thermals, that the birds use to rise easily into the sky. The Thames, at this point sprawling wide as a lake, provides navigation not just for ships but for aircraft. Fortunately only a few pass over during the time of our recording. This is what nature along the Thames Estuary, from a rackety fence wobbling in the wind, really sounds like.

* Thanks again to Lento supporter Ian for taking a day to drive us and the Lento box out to the Thames Estuary. Getting to remote locations so we can capture and share the sound-feel of being there is what Lento is all about. And it ought to be quite a straightforward process. Check map for a nice looking location. Travel out to it with recording gear. Set up, press record, wait about for around an hour, then return home, listen to the captured soundscape and publish! The weird thing is despite having recorded at over a hundred different physical locations, we still haven't quite worked out how to persuade birds to sing on cue, wind not to gust out of control, rain to fall just when we want it, and cars planes and people to vacate the area while we are recording...