303 The hypnotic passage of a dredger heading up the estuary towards Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex

Here's something different to accompany this episode - an account of the aural happenings as the passage of time progresses. We collected this soundscape just east of Burnham-on-Crouch in Essex last week on a beautifully sunny late autumn afternoon. The Lento box was tied to a post facing out across the water, pointing at the opposite bank which is Wallasea Island. We sat silently still, in sight of the box and experienced this special place as you do now through headphones.   You can as usual just let the soundscape flow over your ears as the passage of time unfurls. Or listen and read along with the show notes below.  0:00 Scene begins as a small aircraft brightly lit in the strong afternoon sunshine transits the sky over the estuary  redshank fly in a curlew can be heard dead ahead  a small boat appears, sailing up the estuary from left to right of scene  when the sound of the small aircraft fades away in the western sky (extreme right of scene) the sound of the small boat is more audible as it sails against the flow of the outgoing tide 4:00 gulls cry far right of scene a steady breeze blowing in from the east presses against the left side of the box tidal water gently laps the newly exposed mud and vegetation  another light aircraft appears in the east, also on a westerly heading 6:33 distant but very distinctive 'crump'  a munition is detonated on the firing range ahead and centre of scene (about 3 miles to the south) this is the military firing range on Foulness more distant crumps can be heard at intervals  sea birds call across the water 8.00 wings of a bird swooping in to land  bird lands on the exposed mud to the right of the post steady onshore breeze presses against the left side of the Lento box 9:00 a bird that's landed quite near to the mics mid-left rattles at something it's found at the shallow water's edge 11.00 the low resonant tone of a larger vessel gradually develops in the east (extreme left of scene) the vessel is sailing mid-stream on a westerly heading inland and towards Burnham-on-Crouch sea birds swoop low over the water  soon a heavy crump from the firing range thuds followed by more crumps the vessel continues engine humming against the outflowing tide 14:33 a jet aircraft traverses the sky its sound soft ten thousand feet or more the larger vessel is now identifiable as a dredger  the sound of the dredger and the jet aircraft meld for a time distant crump of another explosion on the firing range 16:30 the dredger's sound becomes clearer and more sonorous as it begins to draw level with the post holding the box  slowly the dredger crosses the centre point of the soundscape more crumps from the firing range 19:00 the dredger's heavy engines move into a more reverberant area of the landscape beginning to thrum the airspace across the estuary like low organ pipes clanks from machinery on deck tidal water can be heard gently washing along the vegitated tidal zone about ten yards in front of the post  21:30 the dredger is sailing steadily now upstream against the outgoing tide machinery clanks from its deck sea birds call from across the water redshank, curlew, black headed gulls  22:30 the dredger's organ pipe-like drone feels more hypnotic now as it continues on its west heading moving against the outgoing tide towards Burnham-on-Crouch (extreme right of scene)  24:23  captain of the dredger lowers power  nearby birds call out in the low afternoon sunshine the dredger's reverberant drone eases to a chug far right of scene the barks of a dog    27:14 deck crew start to operate a chain mechanism gulls call overhead mechanisms whine  the captain begins to maintain the vessel's position against the current in the midstream tidal water gently lapping to left of the microphone box is washing through the newly exposed beds of estuary vegetation 28:23 voices of the crew can be heard operating the equipment on deck  28:56 captain powers up the engine then trims back to re-position the vessel in the mid-stream flow the dredger does its work  machinery on-deck whines  gulls wheel and circle high over the water 30:40 a herring gull flies passed the mics from right to left 31.00 to left of scene gulls circle  the estuary water is stilling with every minute of outflowing tide that passes almost mirror like in places 32:30 the captain powers up the engines begins to sail again west against the outflowing tide centre of scene curlew and redshank fly low over the expanse of estuary water calling as they go tiny wavelets wash through the vegetation about ten yards infront of the post 36:20 sound of dredger softens as it progresses inland up the River Crouch 37:20 curlew briefly call  black headed gulls caw  the vessel continues its slow droning progress  38:24 a Cetti's warbler can just about be heard singing on scrubland some way behind the mics 38:50 curlew call over the water distant geese can sometimes be heard far ahead on the Wallasea Island side of the estuary banks 40:30 easterly breeze presses in once again against the left side of the Lento box crows call as they fly in across the landscape over the opposite bank   42:25 Here you'll notice a dip in the soundscape. We've taken out the loud transit of a low altitude jet aircraft. The plane appeared behind the microphones and headed south. The noise unbalanced the scene so we made the decision to fade out and blend in the passage of time that followed. The cut means we cannot say this episode is an ear-witness report.  43:00 calm has returned to the sound landscape enabling us to hear the calls of all the various sea birds  45:00 the tidal water has become almost still lapping water along the shore edge, just about audible  the dredging vessel continues its passage heard now as a shapeless noise extreme far right of scene the estuary is now clear for the curlew and redshank to patrol  crows call across the scrubland far behind the microphones 46:30 a lone walker slowly passes on the seawall path from left to right. another small aircraft appears again from behind the microphones 47:50 gulls fly over and another curlew swoops low over the opposite bank calling 50:15 curlew calls dead ahead and another plane begins to transit. As it is at much higher altitude and passes more softly and we feel does not disrupt the balance of the soundscape the estuary water appears flat the tidal flow is essentially unmoving and slack  53:37 Redshanks fly in  54:20 very subtle popping of newly exposed mud along the shoreline estuary landscape is calm and restful now in the late afternoon sunshine (sun is low in sky to extreme right of scene) 55:00 over on opposite bank a flock of landed geese can just about be heard  several curlews patrolling the exposed shorelines 56:10 a goose takes off from the opposite bank circles up over the water then turns east, followed soon after by the calls of two curlews (there are many geese resting on the opposite bank. Shortly after we finished recording and packed up the Lento box  They all take off and from the path we stopped to video them.) 59:10 the lead goose returns flying high over the water 59:28 something on the opposite bank disturbs the water sea birds respond a curlew calls from mid-left of scene shortly after 60:00 sound scene ends with more calls of flying redshank and curlew the soft thrum of Burnham-on-Crouch continuing extreme right of scene under the setting sun