Every winter, hundreds of dedicated bird surveyors across the country count waterbirds as part of the Irish Wetland Bird Survey. Niall Hatch is on hand to tell us more.

Derek is joined by Terry Flanagan and Niall Hatch, with contributions from Éanna Ní Lamhna. Topics for discussion include: robins in the Big Apple, wintering waterbirds at a hundred Irish wetlands, Grasslands under threat and Think before you flush!

While in New York Terry Flanagan spotted a bird he had long wanted to see: an American Robin. A common bird of gardens, parks and woodland across North America, this species is not closely related to the European Robin that is so familiar to us on this side of the Atlantic.

Questions from listeners this week include: a knocking sound on trees, problems with noisy crows, a very choosy Blackbird and reoccurring Swallows.

Joining Derek this week we have Éanna Ní Lamhna and Niall Hatch. Topics up for discussion include: rare bees in Co. Mayo, Starling in a sticky situation, Daredevil Blackbird in Donnybrook, the mystery of the missing Greenfinches and University College Cork: leading the charge on climate change and biodiversity loss.

The steep decline of Irish Great Yellow Bumblebee population is believed largely to be as a result of the loss of rich flower meadows. We are joined by Dr. Karina Dingerkus, an ecologist with the Great Yellow Bumblebee EIP conservation project.

On tonight’s programme, we speak to UCC President Prof. John O’Halloran, who talks us through some of the ground-breaking sustainability research currently underway on campus.

Nial Hatch tackles some questions about starlings, a daredevil Blackbird, missing Greenfinches, Redpolls and a close encounter with a Long-eared Owl.

Catherine Smyth, was in touch with the programme to ask about claims that a penguin had recently been spotted on a beach at Enniscrone, Co. Sligo. Could this be possible, she wanted to know?

This week Derek is joined by Niall Hatch, with contributions from Éanna Ní Lamhna and Terry Flanagan. Topics for discussion include: Rooks causing a ruckus in UCC, malformed beaks, Penguins in Co. Sligo, An Fód Deireanach ar TG4, Star-studded Skerries sandbank and Brent Geese in Blackrock.