I made a short collection of field recordings this year (2021) - and, as a rookie - I learned a lot. I think I just wanted to record the audio of birds and frogs - but a lot of other sounds got in there - such as planes passing overhead, or the person with a chainsaw just as you’re about to record the Church bells. And, then I though I’d do a few sessions at places I like such as: the Milford Bluffs, Asbury Park, and Ringing Rocks County Park. During these sessions the Brood X cicadas showed up - so, I could not resist recording that.

There’s a list out there of field recording rules - after I was shown the list, turns out I broke most of them. And, there’s a lot you have to decide as well - such as, do you include the crunching sounds you make when you return the recorder? Should you fade between sessions? If you use a digital equalizer does that change the actual sound too much?

And as bothersome as wind in the mic can be - it happened, so editing it out could be perceived as falsifying.

This first one (Washington Crossing State Park) took several visits and includes the following sounds: peepers, birds, bells and cars on the bridge. The others got easier in ways.