Early May Moorland Field Trip [Dryburn Moor Night sounds]
Trip notes / Early May 2022
Dryburn Moor, Allendale, Northumberland
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Day one / Mon 2nd
It's early May 2022 and i'm heading due north from the midlands for a few days of recording in and around the North Pennine moors.
I arrive at my location at 2330 after leaving home at 1800ish with one stop at Tebay services for a coffee and some food. The last leg of the journey was from Penrith across and over the North Pennines towards Allendale, and unsurprisingly it was very dark, windy and ascending; although quite spectacular in its increasing remoteness.
After setting up kit and prepping the back of van for sleep and food and living in it for a few days it was later than i'd hoped, meaning not a lot of sleep was to be had, but it's often difficult to sleep after focussing on driving for 5 hours, especially with the anticipation of a new location and soundscape to be recorded!
The plan recording wise was to capture wild soundscapes from a binaural dummy head perspective using a pair of DPA 6060 miniature mics. I also had an alternative backup Rycote blimp with a spaced pair of DPA 4060s and a black stealthy wind jammer, to use if the wind picks up... (Which is likely!)
Day Two / Tues 3rd
Mornings of recording sessions are like a kind of military routine - I was up at 0300h/3am and on the Moor by half past. Of course, having thoroughly thought through the pattern of tasks required so that I would be fully prepared and ready to record with minimum fuss!
When I arrived just a few hours earlier under darkness with my only knowledge of the area coming from the study of aerial maps, at ground level it was very much new territory and being a bog moorland and very dark I would have to be careful with my footing.
Following a solid track, I make my way down a hill from the small road, gradually banking back up until I see the vague silhouette of what I assumed was one of the two old (and tall) lime chimneys. On approach I realised I was correct, thankfully. Although not knowing exactly where to set up my microphones I see the top of the other chimney so carefully and quietly continue on.
Its incredibly quiet, but there is sound starting to build already: the odd gurgle of red grouse and distant descending calls of curlew, was that a Snipe... I know I can't hang about here deliberating, I need to set and go as soon as possible! This is difficult but with what little information on I have gathered on my surroundings in this dark place, I position the mic stand and go hunker down. My presence did not go unnoticed, with the start of curlew alarming... but this thankfully calmed back down quite quickly; back to the sparse quiet of the nighttime moor.
It's difficult to describe the level of quiet that these moorland areas possess. Hours can pass with no human derived sounds being heard, so no engines or signs of nearby life. There are people living around here, but there's a lot of wild space. This, in theory makes it ideal for wildlife soundscape recording. I say in theory because the moorland terrain is extremely exposed, there are no trees and so nothing to block the winds and often brutal weather systems bellowing over the Pennines. All I can do is hope the wind doesn't pick up too much during my short visit...
After sitting and listening for a few hours the dark of night surrenders to the early morning light allowing for an incredible clear sunrise. And while the recording conditions may not have been perfect, moments like this are special.
