Rivernest

from Humble by Mark Ferguson

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about

During a woodland walk in Exmoor National Park, I followed a worker bumblebee along a riverbank for several minutes. She eventually led me to her nest: a repurposed rodent den, dug deeply into an earthy mound just a few metres from the water.

Overhanging vegetation allowed me to place microphones immediately outside the entrance. In the minutes that followed, I was able to enjoy the detailed comings and goings of bumblebees through my headphones.

The recording provides a fascinating sonic overview of variations in bumblebee flight buzz frequency, with larger, heavier individuals typically producing deeper buzzes. Some returning bees can be heard hovering just two centimetres away from the microphones.

Species: B. terrestris/lucorum (indeterminate)

August 25, 2018 at 13:25. Horner Wood, Exmoor National Park. Sunny; very light winds.


Important note:

This recording was made possible by the presence of surrounding vegetation, which allowed unobtrusive microphones to be lowered very gently above the nest entrance over a fifteen-minute period. In any other circumstances, it would not have been attempted. All field observations indicated that the bees were in no way disturbed by microphone placement, and went about their business unhindered.

Bumblebee nests should always be observed from a sensible distance. Although bumblebees are typically very docile, approaching a nest too closely may trigger defensive behaviour.

credits

from Humble, released July 11, 2020

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Mark Ferguson UK

Mark Ferguson is a UK-based wildlife sound recordist and sound artist.

His award-winning work explores the unique and intricate sonic detail of the natural world, with an emphasis on species conservation.

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