My friend Sean joins me on the podcast this week where we swap some fascinating (and very random) birdy facts – including: which species lay eggs the size of coffee beans, what type of bird uses poop as a weapon, and which birds hold the record for being the largest, smallest or fastest in the world!

There are quite a few theories as to how the bright green parakeets that fly across London and other areas in the south of England got here – did they escape a movie set? Were they released by Jimi Hendrix? And how has this non-native, sub-tropical bird survived so well in the UK?  In this episode, my cousin Katie and I discuss the Ring-necked parakeet.

RSPB website - Ring-necked parakeet

You may have noticed that, here in the UK, a lot of our birds seem to disappear after the summer. But where do they go and why?  In spring this year I spoke to my uncle Ivan – who has been birdwatching for 50+ years – about bird migration.

Bird Migration on Merchant Ships

As a Wildlife Advisor to the public, my cousin Katie deals with all kinds of birdie queries  – whether it’s someone needing help identifying a bird in their garden, someone asking advice on how to help an injured bird, or someone asking what to do with a nest they have found in their shed. Some queries, however, are so funny and bizarre that we wanted to share them with you…

Back in June I spent four weeks living on a remote nature reserve in the Highlands of Scotland for my work sabbatical – where I monitored one of our rarest birds of prey, the Hen Harrier. People kept asking what exactly I was doing and what it entailed, so I recorded this episode to explain…

RSPB website - Hen Harrier
Become a Bird of Prey Defender

Red Kites are one of our most striking and widespread birds of prey – but did you know they almost went extinct in the UK a few decades ago and we wouldn’t be seeing them now if it wasn’t for a re-introduction programme that took place in the 80s. So in this episode I chat to my aunt Karen who was involved in this work to bring them back from the brink.

P.S apologies for the rumbly microphone sounds throughout.

RSPB website - Red Kite
RSPB website - Red Kite conservation

Swifts are built for the skies! With the longest uninterrupted flight on record, swifts can stay in the air for 10 months straight(!), and will sleep, eat, bathe and even mate whilst flying! So in this episode, I visit a swift hotspot in Brighton with my friend Jack who can talk for hours about his favourite bird.

RSPB website - swifts
Swift Mapper
Swift Conservation charity

The nocturnal Nightjar is one of our most fascinating birds – known for its strange wide mouth, distinctive ‘churring’ call, and a mythical ability to steal milk from goats! So in this episode, my friend Jack and I go to Ashdown Forest at night time in the hope of seeing and hearing this mysterious bird.

RSPB website - Nightjar
Heath Week 2022

 How can you identify a bird of prey species when it is so high up in the sky it simply looks like a moving blob?! Well there are clues to look out for that my aunt Karen – a lifelong birder who certainly knows her stuff – teaches me in this episode.

P.S unfortunately there are a few sound issues with this episode (which I explain in the intro) so my apologies for that!

Whether it's birds flying into windows, birds getting stuck in chimneys, or even birds that have been injured by a predator – sometimes they need a little helping hand. So in this episode I ask my cousin Katie, a Wildlife Advisor to the public, how we can help our feathered friends in these sorts of situations. This episode was recorded in Queens Park, Brighton.

HelpWildlife.co.uk