Sounds of the countryside

[Arthur Marshall]

Please note I'm not complaining about this, as I would hate this thread being taken over by those who like to complain about people complaining about stuff, but it strikes me that the ubiquitous sound of the countryside is no longer birdsong,  sheep bleating or cows doing their stuff, but the incessant high pitched beep of reversing farm vehicles. The sound carries miles, and they seem to spend most of their time going backwards.

[LadyG]

6 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Please note I'm not complaining about this, as I would hate this thread being taken over by those who like to complain about people complaining about stuff, but it strikes me that the ubiquitous sound of the countryside is no longer birdsong,  sheep bleating or cows doing their stuff, but the incessant high pitched beep of reversing farm vehicles. The sound carries miles, and they seem to spend most of their time going backwards.

I'm moored up under trees etc, but the major road nearby  has a lot of noisy motorbikes, plus lorries 24/7. There are also fabrication sheds both sides, so although it looks leafy and there is a dawn chorus and a few angry corvids during the day,  overall noisy. .

Farming is probably the most dangerous industry in the UK, due to deaths and life changing accidents, the machinery is huge, the workload never ending, the only solution is to move during the day. 

 

Edited August 8, 2024 by LadyG

[system 4-50]

The sounds of the countryside:

 

1. Top of the list, in some places, the dawn chorus can be deafening.

2. Hooting over hump-backed bridges.

3. Motorways and other main roads.

4. Infernal motorbikes - some are way noisier than they need to be.

5. The commuter rush flights from small local airports early am and pm.

6. The all-day noise from major airports.

7. Railways.

8. Agricultural vehicles.

9. My pet hate - helicopters - all of them.

10. ?

[Arthur Marshall]

Birdsong is an interesting one. All the top range of my hearing has gone,  so I can't hear most of it at all. What I get is a sort of impression that there's a load of twittering going on, without really hearing it. I need the kind of headphones that will drop the frequencies, like the ones they use to hear whale songs but in reverse.

[LadyG]

7 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Birdsong is an interesting one. All the top range of my hearing has gone,  so I can't hear most of it at all. What I get is a sort of impression that there's a load of twittering going on, without really hearing it. I need the kind of headphones that will drop the frequencies, like the ones they use to hear whale songs but in reverse.

You need the Merlin bird app .....

[Mad Harold]

5 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Birdsong is an interesting one. All the top range of my hearing has gone,  so I can't hear most of it at all. What I get is a sort of impression that there's a load of twittering going on, without really hearing it. I need the kind of headphones that will drop the frequencies, like the ones they use to hear whale songs but in reverse.

Getting old is not nice Arthur.With me high frequencies are hard to hear, but low frequencies too.It sounds to me as though people are talking through cotton wool. Doesn't bother me too much as some people are not worth listening to, but I find the worst feature is my hearing is non directional. Crossing a road if I hear a vehicle, I can't tell if it is left or right, and on the towpath I may hear a bike approaching, but have to look around to see if it is behind.

Was told when I was young that there are advantages in growing old, but now that I am old, I'm damned if I can see any!

 

[Peanut]

46 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

The sounds of the countryside:

 

10. ?

10. Generators???

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

49 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

9. My pet hate - helicopters - all of them.

yes, the noise of a helicopter circling has to be the worst for me,

found a lovely spot not far from Frankton locks. 
Each afternoon and early evening seemed to be helicopter time. 
Turned out (I was told later) it’s a training area for the flying cops. 
 

 

One of the nicest spots is at the Diggle end of Standedge Tunnel. 
I used to listen to the owls hooting to each other. 
There’s a train line there but it goes quite at night (If I remember proper)

[Heartland]

What about cyclists shouting as they approach in an isolated stretch. and the walkers scream as they jump into a nettle patch to avoid the lycra clad demons approaching at speed.

 

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Birdsong is an interesting one. All the top range of my hearing has gone,  so I can't hear most of it at all. What I get is a sort of impression that there's a load of twittering going on, without really hearing it. I need the kind of headphones that will drop the frequencies, like the ones they use to hear whale songs but in reverse.

or hearing aids. it surprised me when I got mine, I didn't realise the difference until out walking I switched them off and the birds disappeared 

[dogless]

One of my favourites is church bells, particular on practice nights.

 

Love it.

 

We were at Cosgrove recently (Tuesday?) and their peels rang from about 7 to 9pm.

 

Rog

[Hudds Lad]

53 minutes ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

There’s a train line there but it goes quite at night (If I remember proper)

Obviously we're the other side, but can occasionally hear a train heading up the valley to the tunnel in the wee small hours at home if the wind is in the right direction and our windows are open, more so since Network Rail properly schwacked the line side trees back a few years ago.

Service from Leeds direction heading for Manchester airport i think.

 

Worse on a still night are the planes inbound to Manchester that do some sort of throttling back thing as they turn and sound like they're going to drop out of the sky 🥺

[David Schweizer]

I live in a village surrounded by small farms and the only sounds I hear when I take my daily walk is from birds, cattle, and sheep. The noises you are describing tend to be created by heavy arable machinery, which is presumably what surrounds where you live. The only occasional interupting noise we get is from small private aircraft and hellicopters, which has increased since they closed RAF Lyneham.

 

 

Edited August 8, 2024 by David Schweizer

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

26 minutes ago, dogless said:

One of my favourites is church bells, particular on practice nights.

 

Love it.

 

We were at Cosgrove recently (Tuesday?) and their peels rang from about 7 to 9pm.

 

Rog

(If I’m not mixing up memories) Stoke Golding on the Ashby is another place good for that. 

 

 

[Stilllearning]

Some people who move here complain about the loud birdsong that keeps them awake at night.

The birds are nightingales....

 

About motorbikes, mainly it's the 2 strokes that wind us up, partly/mainly? because it's almost the only noise. But then my old Francis Barnett 250 was louder, 55 years ago...

Edited August 8, 2024 by Stilllearning

[Momac]

2 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

 All the top range of my hearing has gone, 

 

2 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

..... the incessant high pitched beep of reversing farm vehicles. The sound carries miles, and they seem to spend most of their time going backwards.

Maybe your hearing is good at the range emitted by reversing beepers and not other frequencies which is why you are hearing this above everything else .

Or maybe you have tinnitus as this could explain why the sound is incessant ?

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tinnitus/

 

 

[MtB]

2 hours ago, system 4-50 said:

The sounds of the countryside:

 

1. Top of the list, in some places, the dawn chorus can be deafening.

2. Hooting over hump-backed bridges.

3. Motorways and other main roads.

4. Infernal motorbikes - some are way noisier than they need to be.

5. The commuter rush flights from small local airports early am and pm.

6. The all-day noise from major airports.

7. Railways.

8. Agricultural vehicles.

9. My pet hate - helicopters - all of them.

10. ?

 

10. The shriek of the Lesser Spotted Bow Thruster

[Ex Brummie]

10.,   The inane shouted chatter of paddleboarders.

[Hudds Lad]

10.  The surprisingly sweary shouting of pensioners on the bowling green round the back.

[trane]

I have a lot of respect for Farmers. Just a week ago I was by a field where the farmer was still working at 9p.m. and was back again at 0530. It's not an easy life. It's when they spread slurry in a field next to you at 7p.m when you've settled down with a glass of wine, now that is annoying.

Talking of sounds of the countryside  I was passing Hurleston Locks one morning a while back and the only sound I could hear sounded suspiciously like a trombone. I didn't stop although there seemed to be a lot of mooring spots available! Anyway thanks to the OP as it put me above Audlem flight the day before it was closed.

[Number 9]

3 hours ago, Mad Harold said:

Getting old is not nice Arthur.With me high frequencies are hard to hear, but low frequencies too.It sounds to me as though people are talking through cotton wool. Doesn't bother me too much as some people are not worth listening to, but I find the worst feature is my hearing is non directional. Crossing a road if I hear a vehicle, I can't tell if it is left or right, and on the towpath I may hear a bike approaching, but have to look around to see if it is behind.

Was told when I was young that there are advantages in growing old, but now that I am old, I'm damned if I can see any!

 

Getting old may have its problems but it is better than the alternative

[MtB]

49 minutes ago, Number 9 said:

Getting old may have its problems but it is better than the alternative

 

Although to be contentious, I'm not convinced dead people know they are dead. 

 

Or know anything at all.

 

 

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, MtB said:

 

Although to be contentious, I'm not convinced dead people know they are dead. 

 

Or know anything at all.

 

 

Thats my thinking as well

 

[Arthur Marshall]

2 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Thats my thinking as well

 

Cogito ergo sum non mortis 

Or something. I failed Latin O level several times.

[ditchcrawler]

5 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Cogito ergo sum non mortis 

Or something. I failed Latin O level several times.

I didn't, I didn't take any O levels