Monday 17 April 2006

Soundscapes

Today we walked up Corstorphine Hill in Edinburgh. The weather was warm and clear and the gorse was out, smelling of coconut. These are some of the natural sounds we heard:

The wind
Tree branches creaking in the wind
Leaves rustling in the wind
Birds singing and calling - great tits, blue tits, robins, blackbirds and chaffinches
Our footsteps
Twigs snapping underfoot

Somewhere like Corstorphine Hill it becomes possible to appreciate natural sounds, traffic noises seem to disappear. But for most of us who live in cities, natural noises are increasingly difficult to hear. This month's Ecologist magazine has an excellent article on noise pollution and soundscapes. Find out more from the Institute of Acoustic Ecology and find out what you can do to reduce noise from the Noise Abatement Society.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed your blog. Gorse also grows on the hills around Dunedin in the south of New Zealand. The Scottish settlers brought it with them, the hills are a blaze of yellow when it blooms, best wishes, TheArtist

Martyn said...

Lovely post. I really struggle with noise of any kind, I think I'm a bit hyper-sensitive to it. I spend much of time with ear plugs shoved in my lugs to provide the necessary levels of peace.

winnsangels said...

I am fortunate to have grown up in Saskatchewan, Canada, on a farm with a creek close by. Though we now live in a tiny city (about 5000 population) I still love to go to the farm and do walks. I also love birds and so appreciate their twitters, twerps and other music.
Though I've not had a chance to study your blog in depth I truly appreciate what you are writing about and what you believe.
I've just been at farm on weekend and will soon be posting about bluebirds, wind, and hawks. I hope you'll have a chance to check later in the week.
Windy

Crafty Green Poet said...

Thanks for all the comments everyone! I've just been away visiting family in suburban Manchester - a garden full of birdsong!