On the way to do some hydrophonic recordings in our local creek I disturbed some geese that had otherwise been enjoying a quiet morning.

I took their presence as a sign that there would be a lot of life to record under the surface of the creek.

Since working with hydrophones I’ve realised that the number of birds around waterways indicates the general health of the local habitat. Now it seems obvious that the more birds surrounding an aquatic system, the more life exists beneath its surface – as can be heard here:

It’s amazing to think what a difference the watery surface makes, neatly dividing the aquatic and terrestrial worlds. Even at the depth of just 1 metre there is a whole new world before us. This difference is especially exemplified through sound. We sit by the banks of these creeks yet focus on what we see around us, oblivious to the chorus that lies beneath.

My next step is to identify what we are actually listening to, it would be nice to put a name to the voice.