Trafford Publishing: Travelling the Dempster

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Travelling the Dempster

by John Neville

120 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); illustrated; catalogue #05-0730; ISBN 1-4120-5830-9; US$15.50, C$17.33, EUR12.50, £9.00

Travel Canada's fabulous Dempster Highway with nature recordist John Neville, the Birdsong Man. Enjoy bird encounters from a nature recordist's point of view.

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About the Book

Travel Canada's fabulous Dempster Highway with nature recordist John Neville, the Birdsong Man. Experience the natural history of this tundra wilderness in the Yukon and Northwest Territories, the land of the midnight sun. Enjoy bird encounters from a nature recordist's point of view. Meet some of the historical characters in Goldrush Dawson. Explore with Mackenzie and Franklin in this area above the Arctic Circle. Feel the heartache experienced b the Lost Patrol and the determination of the Mounties tracking the Mad Trapper of Rat River. Learn about Aurora Borealis, the Porcupine Herd of the Barren Ground Caribou, Willow Ptarmigan and much more.

Reviews

Review by Bill Hill,
webpage Dempster Highway,
http://www3.sympatico.ca/billh56/
I read the book with interest and I must say that Margo was pleased to see her mother included. On page 40 of your book you mention the silence of the north and that it actually seems to hum when you listen to it. I find this most interesting for it is this very hum that I find most informative and strangely the most important item I took south with me when I returned to southern Ontario. When the world becomes too much I sit in a quiet place and listen to the hum and it brings me the sense of a common thread between all of mankind and nature, once you have learned to listen you can find such peace and contentment, I so wish everyone could spend a little time in the north to learn and listen with all their senses and inadvertently learn what it is in life that is truly important. Money, war, and day to day strife are such a waste when you look at the big picture! Page 59 mentions the world's most northerly frogs. Wood frogs are found throughout the Mackenzie Delta, not common but they are there. My wife Margo has an affinity with frogs for some reason and would often search them out. I can't recall if I've mentioned her most famous frog experience or not so will tell it briefly. Since moving down south she has had a ongoing battle with innocent harmless snakes, much to my aggravation but I let her be, saving snakes and removing them from our property when I get to them first. She came across a snake with a frog half swallowed, killing the snake she extracted the frog and what I find hard to believe is that when Margo went out to the garden to weed or whatever this, we assume, very same frog would come over to her and sit patiently by her while she did whatever it was she was up to. This went on for a few years but eventually the frog came no more, I have no idea their life span but again I assume it's not that long. Strange behavior for a frog can't have memory, or can it. I would think something this small on the evolutionary scale could hardly be thankful or grateful. To this day she still goes out of her way for frogs, just yesterday she took a frog into some protective cover were it could burrow for we have had a few killer frosts and they should be going to sleep for the winter now. The book was nice John, thank you, for anything that furthers the north and helps others find their way is doing the right thing.
BH
Review of Previous Production
Birds Songs of the Western Boreal Forest
* A double CD from Neville Recording

Reviewed by Gordon Edgar
published Wildlife Sound ,
Wildlife Sound Recording Society,
Volume 10 No.6, Autumn 2005.
This is John Neville's eighth album, so it is fair to say that he is a seasoned 'pro' and now, Canada's most prolific publisher of this genre. Like his previous 'bird song' releases, this album is devoted to a specific region, in this case the vast area known as the 'Western Boreal Forest'.
I cannot pretend that I knew much about the forests of Western Canada, but I have done a little research for the benefit of our European readers, and to widen my purview. The Boreal Forest is the New World equivalent of the Russian taiga, and is a very extensive geo-physical region extending over several Canadian Provinces. It is defined by the vegetation rather than political jurisdictions and is dominated by conifer forests and wetlands.
It is also known as the 'Boreal Plain', for the land has been scoured down to bedrock by glaciation. I mention this because low relief and poor drainage produce extensive wetland habitats and the region is endowed with an abundance of lakes, ponds and boggy ground known as 'muskeg'.
It is common knowledge that they have 'proper' seasons in Canada and most of the bird-life retreats from the severe winters. However, every spring, when the weather becomes more agreeable, phenomenal numbers of migrant birds return from lower latitudes along the four North American Flyways.
Some of these Nearctic migrants are passing through and continue northwards to breeding grounds in the tundra. However, many passerines and other land-birds arriving on a 'broad-front', stay and nest in the region and the numbers involved are staggering. John's introduction informs that the Boreal Forest is the breeding ground for 90% of the land-birds of North America; the cradle for 5 billion fledglings annually!
For the benefit of European readers, I can report that the avifauna has some affinities with Old World taxa. For example, the seed-eaters and the raptors mostly have related Eurasian counterparts, while conversely, the insectivorous Neotropical migrants such as the flycatchers and warblers are distinct, having no close relatives in the eastern hemisphere.
I soon cracked the code on the track-list and deduced that the recordings were made in May and June, mostly in the Provincial and National Parks of Alberta and Saskatchewan. In fact they are the fruits of two major recording expeditions in 2002 and 2003 respectively.
Incidentally, we published John's account of his trip to Wood Buffalo National Park in the Spring 2003 Journal and just to remind you of the scale of things, Wood Buffalo is bigger than Switzerland!
This release is intended as a sound guide to the species and continues to use a successful format; every track being introduced with a 'voice-over'. John wrote and read the script himself, which is well-crafted and includes the location and a few identification 'pointers'. The track lengths and balance between subject and commentary are about right. John's diction is clear although his accent does not sound Canadian; probably because he hails from Somerset in England.
Personally, I like this approach and find it easier than following a printed play-list. It is all too easy to lose the place without the spoken reminders. After all, the album is billed as a sound guide and presumably will be used by complete beginners who will appreciate the announcements.
Listening to the tracks was a nostalgic pleasure, although I am a stranger to the region. The explanation of this paradox is that I am familiar with Catherine Thexton's magnum opus presenting many of the same species. Incidentally, Catherine contributed two selections to the album; namely one of the Mourning Warblers and the Harris' Sparrow.
I soon 'got to grips with' the species and there are many splendid recordings on offer. The album comprises 107 tracks spread over two discs, so obviously, I cannot relate the full story here. Of course, most of the tracks are devoted to birds, but the album includes a few of the region's vocal amphibians and mammals.
Worthy of mention is an unusual sequence of an adolescent Black Bear foraging. It is a rare recording and I am informed that the sample has been used commercially in teddy bears for the toy market. WSRS members have heard it before as this recording was published in our Sound Magazine, dated Winter 2002 (SM 129, track 60).
As for the birds, there are many excellent recordings and sadly, I can only mention a few in the space available.
I warmed to the calls and drumming of the noisy Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, characteristic of the spring soundscape, as are the iconic, nocturnal calls of Common Loons (Gavia immer).
I know that the voice of the loon is the classic, quintessential northern soundscape but even so, the atmospheric 'Moonlight Serenade' recorded on a still night at Wascesiu Lake impressed me. I am not writing romantic prose and should not get melodramatic about territorial 'song', but there is a quality about the eerie wailing and yodelling that stirs the human spirit; very evocative!
The album features many splendid recordings and I am spoiled for choice when picking out tracks for a mention. Basically, they are all fully modulated and good quality audio.
Subjectively, I preferred Disc 2 because the species presented were in my frequency range. Not that I am disparaging Disc 1, but I am getting old and some of the flycatchers and warblers have high-frequency voices. The real problem is that, I was 'born too soon'.
I liked the Sora (rails) at Lindbergh Landing, the Peregrine being mobbed by Common Terns, the Cooper's Hawk responding to a Great Horned Owl and the American Tree Sparrow singing against the rumble of thunder.
All these tracks feature interactions and interesting backgrounds and evidently, would have been nice in stereo. This is my only gripe but I concede that it is impractical to carry an unwieldy microphone rig when working alone and wading through the muskeg. Fellow recordists will be interested to learn that John used two microphones; namely a directional Sennheiser 416 and a Telinga Pro-5 in the reflector. His portable field monitor was a Marantz PDM 650 MiniDisc recorder and post-production, he was assisted by Bart Gurt, who is a sound engineer.
The album comprises over a hundred tracks spread over two discs and the audio is twin-track mono format. A few of the selections were contributed by guest recordists, including WSRS member Catherine Thexton, as already mentioned. This album is a yet another success and has already received favourable reviews from Canadian commentators. I add my congratulations to the well-deserved accolades.
Any naturalist visiting Western Canada would do well to check out the web-site. The sound guides will appeal to all birders, both budding beginners and experienced ornithologists alike. Clearly John has found his calling in life and enjoys what he is doing. He is evidently 'at the top of his game'.
Looking ahead, I have spotted a pattern. Every spring John goes on a recording expedition and every winter he publishes a new CD. Happily, there are no imminent bottlenecks in the supply chain and last year, John's annual expedition took him along the Dempster Highway to Inuvik at 68º North on the Mackenzie Delta.
We published his account of this trip in the previous issue and I already have the resultant album for review. It will be a pleasure! - Ed.
For more information, log on to:http://www.nevillerecording.com/bird.htm

Wildlife Sound: the Journal of the Wildlife Sound Recording Society
Volume 10 No.7,page 20
Spring 2006
Travelling the Dempster
A paperback by John Neville, published by Trafford Publishing Victoria BC, Canada
Reviewed by Gordon Edgar
Not content with audio CD's, our John continues to develop his skills and has produced a companion book about his recording expedition.
As already mentioned, I published an abridged account in the last issue. The book covers the same ground but the subject matter is more wide ranging and comprehensive. It is much more than a diary or log; it is a full-blown travelogue.
The primary purpose of the trip was to record the common bird songs en route and the book is written from a naturalist's perspective and geared towards our core interests.
Clearly, John is passionate about his subject and is very informative about the natural world. He covers a lot of ground and topics include the geography and geology, meteorology, the flora and fauna and the ecology of the changing vegetation zones they pass en route. The far north is evidently an interesting region and a far cry from the world we inhabit!
There is more to life than sound recording and human interest is not neglected. There are chapters on the native Gwitchen people, the early European explorers and of course, the prospectors and gamblers of the celebrated '1896 Goldrush'. Needless to say, the Klondike attracted plenty of colourful characters during the 'boomtown years' and their exploits are legendary. Believe it or not, Klondike Kate and the 'dangerous ' Dan McGrew are household names on this side of the Atlantic!
The text hangs together well and the style is informal rather than scholastic. The book is easy reading and manages to inform and explain complex issues without being heavy or turgid. Clearly, the book has been well researched as corroborated by the extensive bibliography.
I am certainly better informed having read from cover to cover and I will pass on a few morsels of my new found insight. For example, I learned that the luminous greenish colours in an aurora are produced by ionized oxygen atoms, while the pink displays are derived from atoms of nitrogen. I expect all our accredited readers knew that already! Come to think of it, the dancing lights would make a good PC screen saver. Has anyone ever seen the like?
Moving on, I pass on a quotation from Bernie Krause in 'Wild Soundscapes' that is worth repeating. He divided 'natural' sounds into two categories, coining the term 'geophony' for the sounds of the Earth and its elements: wind, water, ice, earthquakes, volcanoes etc. In distinction, he labeled the sounds produced by living creatures, as 'Biophony', although this designation excluded noise generated by humans. Suggestions on a postcard, please!
Next, an esoteric question. John alluded to the 'clicking' tendons of the Caribou and that begs the question, *Is there a plausible explanation?* I ask because the same phenomenon occurs in the captive herd of P`ere David Deer at Woburn Park.
Clearly, this long journey to the far north as a memorable experience. After a walk in a pristine area of the Blackstone Valley, John wrote that he was moved by the tranquility and described his sense of wonder having the wilderness all around. He had stopped checking his watch or listening to the news. He had relaxed into the rhythms of the natural world. Sounds like therapy! Happy days!
Conclusion
Birdsong is a 'niche market' but this book will appeal to a wider audience and the style is right for the popular travelogue. I predict that it will find a ready market with the general public and future tourists to the region , in particular.
Undoubtedly, authoring this book was time well spent; surely a good career move that will take the 'Neville Recording' label to a new audience and new heights?
'Travelling the Dempster' is John's first foray into the literary world and I predict that it will not be the last. What will he do for an encore/ Mighty fine!
References
Krause, Bernard L. Wild Soundscapes: discovering the Voice of the Natural World (book and CD), Berkley, Wilderness Press, 2002
Travelling the Dempster book and 2CD Bird Songs of the Arctic-Along the Dempster Highway available www.nevillerecording.com
Book published by Trafford Publishing Victoria BC Canada ISBN 1-41205830-9 online www.trafford.com/05-0730

About the Author

John has had a lifelong interest in birds. He began serious field recording of bird song in British Columbia, Canada, in 1993. HIs audio productions include:
     "Birds of the Kootenays" - 1994
     "Bird Songs of the Creston Valle"y - 1995
     "Bird Songs of the Okanagan" - 1996
     "Songs and Sounds of the Canadian Rockies" - 1997
     "Bird Songs of Canada's West Coast" - 1999
     "Bird Songs of the Great Lakes" - 2002
     "Beginners Guide to BC Bird Song" - 2003
     "Bird Song - Western Boreal Forest" - 2004
     "Bird Songs of the Arctic - Along the Dempster Highway" - 2005
As an active birder and naturalist, John has lectured, made presentations, written articles and appeared on radio and television. Some of his nature recordings have been used on The Nature of Things and in National Film Board documentaries. John and his wife have two grown daughters and live on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.

Excerpts

Catalogue Information