A personal journey through sound.

New Zealand: Gull Colony

Posted: February 14th, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: field recording, nature recording
A small sampling of the red-billed gull colony at Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand.

A small sampling of the red-billed gull colony at Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand.

While on New Zealand’s South Island, I visited its largest colony of native red-billed gulls.

It’s tough when you’re presented with nifty creatures in large numbers that you can get close to (like the rutting elk from one of my earlier posts). You’ve got to balance getting as close as possible while respecting the animal and not threatening or stressing it. Well, I wound up getting nice and close, only to be dive-bombed by angry gull parents, all Hitchcock style. Too close after all! (I also got growled at by a sea lion, but that one wasn’t my fault, I swear! Another story for another day…) At any rate, I got a stereo earful of the chatty little bastards, with some background hiss and rumble from the pounding surf nearby.

New Zealand: South Island Red-Billed Gull Colony by noisejockey
[Zoom H2 recorder]

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Request: Recording Opportunities on New Zealand’s South Island?

Posted: September 3rd, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: field recording, news

I’m bound for the South Island of New Zealand this winter (or, their summer). I’m traveling with the Significant Other, so all I can really bring with me for sound gear is the ol’ Zoom H2 (now with its spiffy new wind-busting afro!). However, the question remains: What are the killer recording opportunities there?

I’ll be exploring the entire nothern coast from Abel Tasman to Akaroa, driving through Otago, and spending many days in the alps, ranging from Doubtful Sound up to to Arthur’s Pass. We’ll be there for three solid weeks.

If anyone has any suggestions, I’m all ears! Feel free to offer ideas and suggestions in the comments on this post, via Twitter, or at nathan [at] noisejockey [dot] net.

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