JOHN WARD & BRYAN BLAND - BIG JAKE CALLS THE WADERS (wav/405mb/50mins)
UK, LP Millstream Records (SRTX-80-CUS598): 1980
HAVEN AUDIOGUIDES
BIG JAKE Calls the Waders
"When
Alan Haven first mentioned the idea of this record to me, my immediate
reaction was "Marvellous - about time". When later he played me the
actual recordings, my reaction was absolute amazement. All I could do
was splutter words like 'fabulous', 'unbelievable'. My further reaction
was disbelief that these sounds were made by a human, until Alan pointed
out the silent backgrounds, the lack of any other birds calling, the
absence of any wind noise or indeed, any of the other multitude of
extraneous noises attendant upon recordings made in the field. Add to
all these the ever-so-subtle but, nevertheless, noticeable exaggerations
in the calls and it at once becomes apparent that this is a
studio-engineered recording, made entirely by people, but people with a
very healthy knowledge of birds and particularly of bird sound. This it
is, that makes this product so fabulously unique.
"In fifty years
of watching and listening to birds, and in particular the waders, I can
quite honestly say that this is one of the most exciting and invaluable
ideas to happen to bird-watching. How I wish we had had such a help in
the old days! The time I would have saved in knowing my birds by ear -
because in this recording all that knowledge is readily available. The
calls of the birds are clearly and simply demonstrated by jake Ward. A
gentle giant of a man with an amazing ear. Gentle for the birds that is,
but woebetide any potential egg-collector or pther disturber of the
birds that crosses Jake's path. It is then he becomes a very angry
giant, indeed. Many is the time he has sat an all-night watch over the
reserve, damp and cold, to guard rare breeding birds and their eggs.
"The
sounds are explained by Bryan Bland. A most happy choice, for here is a
man well-versed in passing on knowledge to others and able to do it in a
thorough and yet totally interesting manner. The stamp of the master
teacher; equally caring and concerned for the birds and living in Cley
because of them.
"Finally, all our thanks must go to another
ardent conservationist, Alan Haven, the man who first dreamed up the
idea, put it into practice and brought it to fruition. A musician by
profession who has also chosen to live and work near the birds here on
the north Norfolk coast. He it is who developed the special recording
techniques that make this whole concept work so well, and working
closely with Jake Ward and Bryan Bland, has created a team that has
given to ornithology a completely new sound method.
"It is always
exciting to witness the introduction of something new and different,
and I believe this to be a most outstanding contribution to the art of
bird recognition. I can only hope that this is the forerunner of a whole
series of records, for it fills admirably, what has always been a large
gap in our learning material. I am both proud and grateful for the
opportunity to be associated with it by writing these sleeve notes. I
only hope I do it credit, for it is truly an amazing piece of work."
W. F. Bishop
42 years Warden of the Norfolk Naturalists Trust's world famous reserve at Cley, Norfolk.
SIDE 1
BAND A Introduction
BAND B HAEMATOPDIDAE
(1) Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
RECURVIROSTRIDAE
(2) Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
BURHINIDAE
(3) Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus)
BAND C CHARADRIIDAE
(1) Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)
(2) Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
(3) Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)
(4) Dotterel (Eudromias morinellus)
(5) Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria)
(6) Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
(7) Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
SIDE 2
BAND A SCOLOPACIIDAE
(1) Knot (Calidris canutus)
(2) Sanderling (Calidris alba)
(3) Little Stint (Calidris minuta)
(4) Temminck's Stint (Calidris temminckii)
(5) Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)
(6) Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima)
(7) Dunlin (Calidris alpina)
BAND B
(1) Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)
(2) Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)
(3) Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
(4) Curlew (Numenius arquata)
BAND C
(1) Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus)
(2) Common Redshank (Tringa totanus)
(3) Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
(4) Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)
(5) Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)
(6) Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
(7) Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
BAND D Conclusion
Commentary written and spoken by BRYAN BLAND
Devised, Produced and Engineered by ALAN HAVEN at his North Norfolk Coast Recording Studio
MILLSTREAM RECORDS
Beach Road
Weybourne
Holt
Norfolk NR25 7SR
