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In this vibrant episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin brave a blustery June morning at High Ash Farm, where summer’s rhythm pulses through Norfolk’s countryside. By a windswept hedgerow, they marvel at field and dog roses, their delicate white and pink petals whispering tales of Roman introductions and heralding scarlet hips for autumn. A majestic red kite, mobbed by crows, glides over crimson-tinted soil, joined by buzzards relishing disc-churned invertebrates. In a young woodland, a lone common spotted orchid glows with pinkish-purple spikes, its ancient seed thriving in chalky clay through mysterious fungal bonds. Amidst pelting rain, four swallow fledglings dart through a stable, mastering flight in a whirlwind of wings. From cuckoo spit’s frothy secrets to a bee swarm’s rooftop haven, listener queries weave through vivid discoveries, celebrating June’s untamed symphony.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/17293128-episode-2-23-roses-and-red-kites-june-s-wild-waltz.mp3?download=true

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Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
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This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
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"Woodpeckers and Witches’ Brooms: Summer’s Secret Symphony"
In this captivating episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin dive into the early summer splendour of High Ash Farm, where nature hums with hidden wonders. From their bird hide, they marvel at great spotted woodpeckers—vivid parents darting to a lofty nest, feeding insatiable chicks in a slender sycamore’s embrace. Amidst the woodland’s rustle, they uncover the sticky allure of honeydew, as aphids coat sycamore leaves, fuelling swallows and swifts in their aerial dance. Venturing to a sunlit slope, the duo kneels before a dazzling display of bee orchids, their bee-mimicking petals thriving despite drought, alongside buzzing bumblebees on sainfoin. A listener’s query unveils the eerie folklore of witches’ brooms—fungus-sparked tangles in silver birch. Packed with tales of zygodactyl toes, pseudo pollination, and the relentless rhythm of June’s renewal, this episode is a joyful ode to the countryside’s unseen performers.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/17248014-episode-2-22-woodpeckers-and-witches-brooms-summer-s-secret-symphony.mp3?download=true

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Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
[email protected]

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
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Podcast | High Ash Farm

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Bask in the sunlit splendour of High Ash Farm’s wildflower meadows, where Chris Skinner guides us through a vibrant tapestry of nature’s small wonders. Marvel at the common blue butterflies, their Wedgwood-hued wings dancing over bird’s foot trefoil, a legume bursting into bright yellow bloom. Amid the meadow, yellow rattle thrives, subtly parasitizing grasses to foster a haven for declining insect species. Discover the rare shepherd’s purse and shepherd’s needle, crucifers with delicate, cross-shaped white flowers, their names echoing ancient sheepherding traditions and medieval practices of stitching lambskins to nurture orphaned young. By the farm’s tranquil lake, witness tadpoles in metamorphosis, their tiny hind legs sprouting as they edge toward froghood, while the scarce water soldier’s white blooms drift serenely, carried by the breeze. From drought-stressed fields to the resilience of Norfolk’s biodiversity, this episode celebrates the intricate connections of flora and fauna in a rapidly changing season. Join us for a heartfelt journey through the countryside, plus answers to your wildlife questions! 

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/17202769-episode-2-21-shepherd-s-purse-soldier-s-float.mp3?download=true

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Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
[email protected]

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
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Join Chris Skinner in the verdant depths of Fox's Grove, where spring unveils a remarkable tale of coexistence: badgers and foxes sharing the same sprawling set, with cubs of both species thriving in harmony. Discover the delicate beauty of the early purple orchid, steeped in Shakespearean lore, and marvel at the ash trees’ surprising sex-switching as they produce a prolific crop of keys. Scots pines stun with their rapid growth spurts, while roe deer bark in the distance, adding to the woodland’s vibrant symphony. From drought-stressed landscapes to biodiversity’s resilience, this episode celebrates the intricate jigsaw of nature at High Ash Farm. Tune in for a journey through Norfolk’s countryside, plus answers to your wildlife questions! 

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/17167691-episode-2-20-cubs-and-cones-woodland-s-shared-spaces.mp3?download=true

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Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
[email protected]

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
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Podcast | High Ash Farm

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Join Chris Skinner at High Ash Farm for a captivating exploration of nature’s quirks in Norfolk’s countryside. This week, Chris unveils the ghostly spectacle of a spindle tree shrouded in the webs of brown tail moth caterpillars, a phenomenon both eerie and fascinating, while warning of their irritating hairs. The journey continues with a dive into the world of oak galls—marble galls and oak apples—revealing the hidden lives of gall wasps and the historical charm of Oak Apple Day. Amidst the bluebells of Foxes Grove, a heartwarming tale unfolds as a vixen adopts four orphaned cubs, raising a bustling family of eight, captured on camera for all to see on High Ash Farm’s Facebook page. From drought-stricken hay fields to the rich biodiversity of oak trees, Chris shares the wonders and challenges of rural life in May. Tune in for a blend of history, wildlife, and nature’s marvels! 

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/17123452-episode-2-19-fox-cubs-feast-galls-hidden-guests.mp3?download=true

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Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
[email protected]

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
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Podcast | High Ash Farm

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Embark on a captivating journey with Chris Skinner as he ventures from High Ash Farm to the Suffolk coast at Aldeburgh to witness the awe-inspiring arrival of swifts. Marvel at these sickle-shaped marvels as they soar above the marshes, hoovering up aerial plankton and clocking millions of miles in their lifetime. Back at the farm, Chris explores the delicate white blooms of hawthorn, alive with bees and flies, and shares its eerie historical ties to the scent of death. The episode blooms further with the pungent aroma of garlic mustard and wild garlic, vital food for orange-tip butterflies, while a rare sighting of over 200 yellowhammers adds a vibrant note to the spring symphony. Join us for a morning of coastal wonders and countryside treasures, where nature’s fleeting beauty unfolds in May’s warm embrace.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/17086633-episode-2-18-may-s-white-veil-swifts-sickle-flight.mp3?download=true

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Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
[email protected]

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
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Podcast | High Ash Farm

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Join Chris Skinner at High Ash Farm for a vibrant spring morning filled with the tireless energy of returning swallows and the delicate beauty of the countryside. In this episode, Chris captures the dawn chorus as over 20 swallows busily build nests with mud and straw in the farm’s stables, marking the true arrival of summer. Venturing further, we explore the farm’s woodlands, where drought has left its mark on the bluebells, stunting their iconic display, though their resilience shines through. Amidst the blooms of blackthorn, wild cherry, and bird cherry at Notre Dame Wood, Chris reflects on the living heritage of the landscape, from ancient bluebell displays to Romano-Celtic temples. We also celebrate an extraordinary human journey as Stuart Fraser continues his 24,000-mile walk around the world—without leaving the farm. Tune in for birdsong, blossoms, and the timeless rhythms of nature at its finest.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/17036800-episode-2-17-bluebells-in-peril-swallows-in-flight.mp3?download=true

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Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
[email protected]

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
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Podcast | High Ash Farm

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Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a rain-soaked adventure at High Ash Farm, where the long-awaited spring showers bring life to the Norfolk countryside. Under dripping umbrellas, they explore the sticky secrets of mistletoe, a semi-parasitic plant thriving on ancient trees, and marvel at the delicate pink-tipped blossoms of the native crab apple, a spiny ancestor of modern orchards. At the lake’s edge, witness the magical hatching of thousands of tadpoles, forming living clouds in the shallows—a fleeting spectacle of nature’s renewal. From emails about house martins to the promise of wildflower fields, this episode celebrates the resilience and quiet wonders of the season, all serenaded by the patter of rain. Don’t miss this immersive journey into spring’s vibrant pulse!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/16989586-episode-2-16-kisses-of-mistletoe-blossoms-of-crab-apple.mp3?download=true

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Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
[email protected]

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
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Podcast | High Ash Farm

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In Episode 2.15 of The Countryside Podcast with Chris Skinner, we’re back at High Ash Farm, where the first swallows of the season have arrived, heralding the promise of summer with their daring aerial acrobatics. Chris’s infectious enthusiasm shines as he shares the miraculous 5,000-mile migration of these tiny birds, weighing less than a sugar cube, and their pinpoint return to the farm’s stables. We also discover the delicate beauty of the common storks bill, a wildflower thriving in Norfolk’s drought-stricken sandy soils, with a surprising seed-dispersing trick that screws itself into the ground. From the hovering prowess of kestrels to the frenzied boxing matches of hares, this episode is bursting with springtime wonders. Joined by Matthew, Chris answers listener questions, marvels at buzzards’ million-receptor eyesight, and reflects on the farm as a haven for wildlife. Tune in for a joyful celebration of nature’s resilience and surprises, recorded under Norfolk’s bright blue skies. 

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/16962008-episode-2-15-wings-of-summer-the-swallow-s-return.mp3?download=true

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Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
[email protected]

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
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Podcast | High Ash Farm

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April unfurls its wonders at High Ash Farm as Chris Skinner guides us through a sun-dappled tapestry of nature’s finest. From the slither of a grass snake basking in the warmth to the ancient whisper of windflowers carpeting the woodland floor, this episode is a celebration of spring’s slow and swift marvels. We chase the delicate dance of brimstone butterflies, marvel at the sex-shifting ash trees in coral bloom, and uncover the secrets of dandelions and violets—all while Rat the dog keeps us on our toes. Join us for a ramble where history, wildlife, and a touch of Norfolk charm collide under blue skies.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/16916576-episode-2-14-windflowers-wings-and-wily-ash.mp3?download=true

Support the show

Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
[email protected]

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
https://donorbox.org/podcast-12
or from the Podcast page here:
Podcast | High Ash Farm