Welcome to the 12th episode of The BirdGuides Podcast! Today, David, Ed and Josh catch up to talk about the recent MigFest at Spurn, as well as an arrival of American vagrants in Britain and Ireland and news of turtle dove releases in Hampshire.

In this episode

• David and Josh are back from MigGest and talk about their weekend in East Yorkshire.
• Birding highlights from Spurn.
• Controversial European Turtle Dove releases in the South Downs National Park.
• Signs of recovery for Iceland's Gyr Falcons.
• An arrival of American rarities in Britain and Ireland.
• Recent quality patch finds for David and Josh.

Episode timestamps

02:50 – David and Josh report back from MigFest

13:20 – turtle dove conservation controversy

27:00 – Gyr Falcon recovery in Iceland?

35:30 – Arrival of American vagrants

41:00 – Patch goodies for David and Josh

Links

Get in touch by emailing [email protected]

Browse our range of field guides in the BirdGuides Bookshop

Stay updated with the latest news at www.birdguides.com/podcast

Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe or follow on your favourite podcast app and leave us a 5-star review to help other birders discover the show. Did you go to MigFest? Let us know!

How to stay connected

📱 Download the BirdGuides app: Real-time bird news in the palm of your hand. Get the BirdGuides app for iOS on the App Store / Android on Google Play.

💻 Visit the website: For sightings, breaking news and other birding content, visit www.birdguides.com.

📧 Newsletter: Sign up to our award-winning weekly newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Monday.

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The BirdGuides Podcast is brought to you by Warners Group Publications.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper photo by Seán Holland.

Welcome to the 11th episode of The BirdGuides Podcast! Today, Ed, Ian and Josh discuss the shock news of Britain's third Egyptian Nightjar in Shetland at the weekend, as well as other recent national birding highlights and their own autumn patch efforts so far.

In this episode

• Rarity of the decade? Britain's third Egyptian Nightjar stuns birders in Shetland.
• A look back at the previous British records of Egyptian Nightjar.
• A nice run of Nearctic waders and Ortolan Buntings.
• Mixed fortunes for the English-born Montagu's Harriers.
• Recent patch action.

Episode timestamps

01:30 – Egyptian Nightjar in Shetland!

11:25 – Remembering overseas encounters with Egyptian Nightjar

14:25 – Other rare and scarce news

22:30 – Recent patch action for Ian and Josh

29:30 – What's on the September patch radar?

34:50 – Appreciating common warblers

Links

Get in touch by emailing [email protected]

Browse our range of field guides in the BirdGuides Bookshop

Stay updated with the latest news at www.birdguides.com/podcast

Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe or follow on your favourite podcast app and leave us a 5-star review to help other birders discover the show.

How to stay connected

📱 Download the BirdGuides app: Real-time bird news in the palm of your hand. Get the BirdGuides app for iOS on the App Store / Android on Google Play.

💻 Visit the website: For sightings, breaking news and other birding content, visit www.birdguides.com.

📧 Newsletter: Sign up to our award-winning weekly newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Monday.

Follow us on social media:

📸 Instagram: @_birdguides

👥 Facebook: BirdGuides

🦋 Bluesky: @birdguides.bsky.social

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Support the show

Please take 30 seconds to rate and review us. Your reviews help other birdwatchers find the show!

The BirdGuides Podcast is brought to you by Warners Group Publications.

Egyptian Nightjar photo by Rebecca Nason.

Welcome to the 10th episode of The BirdGuides Podcast. Today, David and Josh are joined by Alicia Hulland and Tasha Noble from The Birding Girlies to talk about their birdwatching community and social media movement that they created to make the hobby fun, supportive and accessible for women and girls.

In this episode

• How The Birding Girlies began.
• The early birding lifes of Alicia and Tash.
• What The Birding Girlies stands for.
• The invisible barriers that women face within birding.
• What the future holds for The Birding Girlies and how you can follow.

Episode timestamps

00:50 – Introducing The Birding Girlies

03:50 – Spark birds

08:15 – The slippery slope of twitching

13:36 – How The Birding Girlies began

25:00 – The perils of social media

30:40 – Advice for men

37:27 – What the future holds

Links

Get in touch by emailing [email protected]

Browse our range of field guides in the BirdGuides Bookshop

Stay updated with the latest news at www.birdguides.com/podcast

Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe or follow on your favourite podcast app and leave us a 5-star review to help other birders discover the show.

The Birding Girlies Instagram

The Birding Girlies Facebook

How to stay connected

📱 Download the BirdGuides app: Real-time bird news in the palm of your hand. Get the BirdGuides app for iOS on the App Store / Android on Google Play.

💻 Visit the website: For sightings, breaking news and other birding content, visit www.birdguides.com.

📧 Newsletter: Sign up to our award-winning weekly newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Monday.

Follow us on social media:

📸 Instagram: @_birdguides

👥 Facebook: BirdGuides

🦋 Bluesky: @birdguides.bsky.social

🐦 X (Twitter): BirdGuides

Support the show

Please take 30 seconds to rate and review us. Your reviews help other birdwatchers find the show!

The BirdGuides Podcast is brought to you by Warners Group Publications.

Welcome to the ninth episode of The BirdGuides Podcast. Today, David, Ian and Josh are joined by the RSPB's Mark Thomas to talk about the exciting recent news that six Montagu's Harrier chicks fledged in England this summer.

In this episode

• The status of one of Britain's rarest breeding birds.
• The unexpected breeding of 2025.
• How Mark safeguarded two Montagu's Harrier nests.
• GPS-tagging two juveniles.
• What the future holds for 'monty's' in Britain

Episode timestamps

03:21 – Montagu's Harrier in Britain

10:50 – Why are they struggling?

17:00 – Protecting the nests

27:30 – Following the tagged juveniles

34:01 – How to keep up to date with their movements

41:12 – What the future holds

Links

Get in touch by emailing [email protected]

Browse our range of field guides in the BirdGuides Bookshop

Stay updated with the latest news at www.birdguides.com/podcast

Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe or follow on your favourite podcast app and leave us a 5-star review to help other birders discover the show.

How to stay connected

📱 Download the BirdGuides app: Real-time bird news in the palm of your hand. Get the BirdGuides app for iOS on the App Store / Android on Google Play.

💻 Visit the website: For sightings, breaking news and other birding content, visit www.birdguides.com.

📧 Newsletter: Sign up to our award-winning weekly newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Monday.

Follow us on social media:

📸 Instagram: @_birdguides

👥 Facebook: BirdGuides

🦋 Bluesky: @birdguides.bsky.social

🐦 X (Twitter): BirdGuides

Support the show

Please take 30 seconds to rate and review us. Your reviews help other birdwatchers find the show!

The BirdGuides Podcast is brought to you by Warners Group Publications.

Welcome to the eighth episode of The BirdGuides Podcast. Today, David, Ian and Josh chat about six important things that anyone who is new to birdwatching or looking to take their interest in birds to the next level.

In this episode

• The importance of binoculars and what size and brands are best.
• The most effective way to learn bird identification.
• Beginning to take photos and enjoy bird photography.
• Knowing what to look for and where.
• How to share your sightings.
• Listener questions answered.

Episode timestamps

03:49 – Listener questions

10:00 – Binocular basics

18:40 – The value of field guides

29:58 – An introduction to cameras

39:09 – Getting a patch

48:43 – How to stay in the loop and know where to go

54:05 – Sharing your sightings

Links

Get in touch by emailing [email protected]

Browse our range of field guides in the BirdGuides Bookshop

Buy The Complete Guide to Patch Birding from the BirdGuides Bookshop.

Stay updated with the latest news at www.birdguides.com/podcast

Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe or follow on your favourite podcast app and leave us a 5-star review to help other birders discover the show. If you're new to birding, tell us what tools you've found most valuable.

How to stay connected

📱 Download the BirdGuides app: Real-time bird news in the palm of your hand. Get the BirdGuides app for iOS on the App Store / Android on Google Play.

💻 Visit the website: For sightings, breaking news and other birding content, visit www.birdguides.com.

📧 Newsletter: Sign up to our award-winning weekly newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Monday.

Follow us on social media:

📸 Instagram: @_birdguides

👥 Facebook: BirdGuides

🦋 Bluesky: @birdguides.bsky.social

🐦 X (Twitter): BirdGuides

Support the show

Please take 30 seconds to rate and review us. Your reviews help other birdwatchers find the show!

The BirdGuides Podcast is brought to you by Warners Group Publications.

Welcome to the seventh episode of The BirdGuides Podcast. In this bonus episode, Brian, David, Ian and Josh offer their thoughts on AI's influence on bird photography and ask whether standards should be set among birders. Meanwhile, there is news of mixed fortunes for breeding Ring Ouzel and Roseate Tern.

In this episode

• AI's growing influence on bird photography – is it time to draw the line?
• When editing an images changes the reality.
• How will records committees deal with the increasing use of AI alteration?
• A bleak future for Ireland's breeding Ring Ouzels.
• England's Roseate Terns enjoy a bumper breeding season.

Episode timestamps

01:00 – The problems with AI in bird photography

12:30 – How to moderate and the future of records

21:55 – Ring Ouzel going extinct in Ireland?

27:33 – Good news for Roseate Tern in England

Links

Get in touch by emailing [email protected]

Stay updated with the latest news at www.birdguides.com/podcast

Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe or follow on your favourite podcast app and leave us a 5-star review to help other birders discover the show. Tell us your own thoughts on the use of AI in bird photography.

How to stay connected

📱 Download the BirdGuides app: Real-time bird news in the palm of your hand. Get the BirdGuides app for iOS on the App Store / Android on Google Play.

💻 Visit the website: For sightings, breaking news and other birding content, visit www.birdguides.com.

📧 Newsletter: Sign up to our award-winning weekly newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Monday.

Follow us on social media:

📸 Instagram: @_birdguides

👥 Facebook: BirdGuides

🦋 Bluesky: @birdguides.bsky.social

🐦 X (Twitter): BirdGuides

Support the show

Please take 30 seconds to rate and review us. Your reviews help other birdwatchers find the show!

The BirdGuides Podcast is brought to you by Warners Group Publications.

Welcome to the sixth episode of The BirdGuides Podcast. Today, David, Ian and Josh are joined by Irish birder Brian McCloskey as they talk Suffolk Zitting Cisticola breeding success, the seawatching season so far and an intriguing egret in Co Kerry.

In this episode

• Zitting Cisticola breeds in Suffolk again. Is this species going to become Britain's next colonist?
• The guys discuss the seabird season so far and Brian shares his exciting sightings from western Ireland.
• An unusual Little Egret in Co Kerry got birders briefly excited about Snowy Egret.
• The best of the rest of the rarity news.
• Josh's dream bird observatory is up for sale!

Episode timestamps

01:03 – Ian's back from Sweden and introducing Brian

07:30 – Zitting Cisticolas breed in Suffolk again

13:43 – Seawatching season so far

20:30 – Bulwer's Petrels in Spain

24:50 – Break

24:55 – Odd egret in Kerry

30:32 – Tern excitement in Northumberland

33:35 – Touring Black Storks and Montagu's Harriers

40:55 – Josh's dream island

Links

Get in touch by emailing [email protected]

Stay updated with the latest news at www.birdguides.com/podcast

Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe or follow on your favourite podcast app and leave us a 5-star review to help other birders discover the show. Tell us about your own experiences of the seawatching season so far and if you've seen the Suffolk cisticolas!

How to stay connected

📱 Download the BirdGuides app: Real-time bird news in the palm of your hand. Get the BirdGuides app for iOS on the App Store / Android on Google Play.

💻 Visit the website: For sightings, breaking news and other birding content, visit www.birdguides.com.

📧 Newsletter: Sign up to our award-winning weekly newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Monday.

Follow us on social media:

📸 Instagram: @_birdguides

👥 Facebook: BirdGuides

🦋 Bluesky: @birdguides.bsky.social

🐦 X (Twitter): BirdGuides

Support the show

Please take 30 seconds to rate and review us. Your reviews help other birdwatchers find the show!

The BirdGuides Podcast is brought to you by Warners Group Publications.

Welcome to the fifth episode of The BirdGuides Podcast. August is here and it's an epic time to get out on your local patch! In the latest episode, David, Josh and Ian chat all things patch and local birding in the month of August, from waders and Whinchats to skywatching and seabirding.

In this episode

• From Wood Sandpiper to European Golden Plover, which waders should be on your August radar?
• Going through gulls and other waterbirds.
• Why seawatching and skywatching can be rewarding.
• Finding good habitat in your local area.
• Looking for passerine migrants.

Episode timestamps

01:10 – Why is August so good for patch birding?

06:00 – wonderful waders

17:15 – going through gulls

21:00 – August seawatching

22:20 – eyes to the skies

27:30 – finding good habitat in your area

32:05 – Whinchat, a classic August bird

36:25 – favourite August patch memories

Links

Buy The Complete Guide to Patch Birding from the BirdGuides Bookshop.

Get in touch by emailing [email protected]

Stay updated with the latest news at www.birdguides.com/podcast

Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe or follow on your favourite podcast app and leave us a 5-star review to help other birders discover the show. Tell us about your own memories of August patch birding and what you hope to see this month!

How to stay connected

📱 Download the BirdGuides app: Real-time bird news in the palm of your hand. Get the BirdGuides app for iOS on the App Store / Android on Google Play.

💻 Visit the website: For sightings, breaking news and other birding content, visit www.birdguides.com.

📧 Newsletter: Sign up to our award-winning weekly newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Monday.

Follow us on social media:

📸 Instagram: @_birdguides

👥 Facebook: BirdGuides

🦋 Bluesky: @birdguides.bsky.social

🐦 X (Twitter): BirdGuides

Support the show

Please take 30 seconds to rate and review us. Your reviews help other birdwatchers find the show!

The BirdGuides Podcast is brought to you by Warners Group Publications.

Welcome to the fourth episode of The BirdGuides Podcast! Join Josh Jones and David Campbell as they reflect on Bill Oddie's sad recent passing and dissect some of the biggest birding stories of recent weeks, including the plight of Britain's breeding Eurasian Dotterel, the tickability of Bearded Vulture, the latest rarity news and much more.

In this episode

• Remembering Bill Oddie, Britain’s best-known birder and long-time Birdwatch contributor.
• Thoughts on the recent Eurasian Dotterel survey results, with the species precarious status as a breeding bird at risk.
• Positive news from the Heathland Bird Survey with increases and expansions.
• Bearded Vulture is now tickable in the Netherlands – should it be in Britain as well?
• A mega Common Redstart × Black Redstart hybrid in Wales.
• Britain’s second Long-tailed Shrike, night herons arrive, big Wilson's Storm Petrel counts and the latest rarity news.

Episode timestamps

03:15 remembering Bill Oddie who sadly passed away on Monday

08:25 dotterel in trouble? Worrying trends form the recent survey of Britain's breeding population

21:55 break

22:00 good news from the 2025 Heathland Bird Survey

31:05 redstart hybrid in Wales

36:05 Bearded Vulture tickable in the Netherlands. Britain next?

43:30 latest rarity news including another Long-tailed Shrike

Links

Get in touch by emailing [email protected]

Stay updated with the latest news at www.birdguides.com/podcast

Enjoyed our second episode? Please subscribe or follow on your favourite podcast app and leave us a 5-star review to help other birders discover the show. Tell us about your own encounters with dotterel and thoughts on the Heathland Bird Survey results on our socials!

How to stay connected

📱 Download the BirdGuides app: Real-time bird news in the palm of your hand. Get the BirdGuides app for iOS on the App Store / Android on Google Play.

💻 Visit the website: For sightings, breaking news and other birding content, visit www.birdguides.com.

📧 Newsletter: Sign up to our award-winning weekly newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Monday.

Follow us on social media:

📸 Instagram: @_birdguides

👥 Facebook: BirdGuides

🦋 Bluesky: @birdguides.bsky.social

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Support the show

Please take 30 seconds to rate and review us. Your reviews help other birdwatchers find the show!

The BirdGuides Podcast is brought to you by Warners Group Publications.

Music by Matt Phelps. Common Redstart × Black Redstart recording by Dante Shepherd

Welcome to the third episode of The BirdGuides Podcast! Join Josh Jones, David Campbell and Ian Lycett as they take a thrilling trip down memory lane to look back at the jaw-dropping mega rarities that have sent British twitchers into a frenzy during previous Julys.

What you'll learn in this episode

• Why midsummer, typically thought of as a quiet time of year for birding, can deliver some of the rarest vagrants.
• The legend of Brean Down legend: we look back at the incredible story of the Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross in 2007
• Reliving the legendary first twitchable Amur Falcon in Cornwall that drew hundreds of birders overnight.
• The mega frigatebird photographed by tourists in Scotland
• Which mega species should you be scanning the skies and coastlines for right now?

Episode timestamps

00:30 – write July off at your peril and favourite midsummer twitches

03:25 – the 2007 Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross, released in Somerset and touching down in Lincolnshire

06:20 – the 2013 Ascension Frigatebird in Scotland

09:30 – one rare tern deserves another

14:00– the Sheffield Audouin's Gull

21:00 – time for another Caspian Plover?

24:07 – break

24:30 – Amur Falcon twitch

28:30 – Fair Isle's Brown Flycatcher in 1992

34:32 – what to seek out in July

Links

Get in touch by emailing [email protected]

Stay updated with the latest news at www.birdguides.com/podcast

Enjoyed our second episode? Please subscribe or follow on your favourite podcast app and leave us a 5-star review to help other birders discover the show. Tell us your own memories of Global Birdfair 2026 and whether you have seen any of July's mega rarities on our socials!

How to stay connected

📱 Download the BirdGuides app: Real-time bird news in the palm of your hand. Get the BirdGuides app for iOS on the App Store / Android on Google Play.

💻 Visit the website: For sightings, breaking news and other birding content, visit www.birdguides.com.

📧 Newsletter: Sign up to our award-winning weekly newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Monday.

Follow us on social media:

📸 Instagram: @_birdguides

👥 Facebook: BirdGuides

🦋 Bluesky: @birdguides.bsky.social

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Support the show

Please take 30 seconds to rate and review us. Your reviews help other birdwatchers find the show!

The BirdGuides Podcast is brought to you by Warners Group Publications.

Music by Matt Phelps