Heard Only

‘Heard Only’ is a sound-led photo-film produced in collaboration with Stockport RSPB at Fairburn Ings, a nature reserve in West Yorkshire. From its name, one would expect birdwatching to be a pastime that prioritises the visual, but to what extent do birdwatchers use sound to locate, differentiate and identify birds? What happens if birds are ‘heard only’, and not seen?