Get Birding

In this episode, host Sean Bean is joined by broadcaster and lifelong birder Kirsty Gallacher to explore the seminal moments that have shaped her love and appreciation for birds, from peregrines and racing pigeons to a powerful encounter with an owl during a time of grief.We’ll also hear from bestselling author Amy Tan about The Backyard Bird Chronicles and the year she spent observing, drawing and keeping a journal of the birds in her garden transformed the way she understood survival, habitat and our relationship with the natural world.Plus, wildlife writer and communicator Lucy McRobert from The Sound Approach explores the overlooked voices of female birds and the gender gap in birdsong, nature beatboxer and composer Jason Singh reveals why the blackbird and song thrush are among his favourite birds, and Dr Mya-Rose Craig returns to answer your questions about the sounds of summer and the remarkable lives of swifts.Produced by Hana Walker-Brown. The Executive Producer is Jane Gerber.The Sound Approach https://soundapproach.co.uk/The Backyard Bird Chronicles https://amytan.net/backyard-bird-chronicles

In this episode, host Sean Bean is back at RSPB Ham Wall with long-time birder Jeff Holmes to explore the changing fortunes of Britain's birds, from wintering whooper swans and cranes to the continental species arriving as our climate changes.We'll also hear from past guests including artist and comedian Jim Moir, actor Samuel West and ornithologist Dr Mya-Rose Craig as they share their favourite holiday birding spots.Plus, RSPB wildlife gardening expert Adrian Thomas shares simple ways to help birds during hot weather, composer Jason Singh explains why the hoopoe is a bird that gives him hope, and author Charlie Corbett reflects on how reconnecting with birds helped him through grief and inspired his book 12 Birds to Save Your Life.Produced by Hana Walker-Brown. The Executive Producer is Jane Gerber.This is a Get Birding production.

In this episode, the Get Birding team are headed to Rutland Water and the Global Bird Fair, where birders, conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts from around the world come together to share ideas and inspire action for nature.We’ll hear from Global Bird Fair founder, Tim Appleton and Mya-Rose Craig is on the ground discovering the latest innovations in birding gear, and learning why the birdwatching community is more diverse and welcoming than ever. We’ll also meet Tim Sexton and Tim Mackrill from Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust to learn how the pioneering Rutland Water Osprey Project helped bring breeding ospreys back to England after more than 150 years, and why their remarkable return remains one of British conservation's greatest success stories.Plus, Jon Carter from the British Trust for Ornithology reveals the extraordinary migration of "Bean", the newly named satellite-tagged cuckoo. Produced by Hana Walker-Brown. The Executive Producer is Jane Gerber.This is a Get Birding Production in collaboration with Swarovski Optic.

In this episode, we're exploring the reed beds of RSPB Ham Wall, where decades of habitat restoration have helped some of the UK's most spectacular wetland birds make a remarkable comeback.Host Sean Bean is joined by broadcaster Jeremy Vine, who proves you don't need to know your sparrows from your sparrowhawks to enjoy birdwatching. Sean also meets Stephen Couch from the RSPB to learn more about the wetlands and their inhabitants, and is introduced to a new friend of the show, lifelong birder Jeff Holmes, whose decades of watching—and listening to—the Somerset Levels have given him a unique insight into the wildlife that lives there. Plus, Dr Mya-Rose Craig is back to answer your birding questions, while nature beatboxer Jason Singh explores the unmistakable booming call of the bittern.Produced by Hana Walker-Brown. Executive Producer is Jane Gerber.This is a Get Birding Production.

In this episode, we're following a new generation — from fledgling birds leaving the nest for the first time to young people discovering the natural world for themselves.Host Sean Bean is joined by conservationist and author Dr Mya-Rose Craig, who explores the rapid rise of birding among Gen Z, how spending time with nature can support mental wellbeing, and why making the outdoors accessible to everyone is more important than ever.Jenny Shelton from the Wildlife Trusts reveals the remarkable journeys young birds take as they prepare for their first flight, from branching owls to globe-trotting swifts, while nature beatboxer Jason Singh helps us tune into the sounds of the corvid family — crows, rooks and ravens — and the stories and folklore that surround them.Plus, young birders from around the world share how watching birds has helped them slow down, switch off from the digital world, reconnect with nature and find a sense of community.Produced by Hana Walker-Brown. Executive Producer is Jane Gerber.This is a Get Birding Production.The podcast is made in collaboration with Forest Holidays, which encourages birdwatching as part of their guests’ stays, with nature sensitive cabins available in 13 incredible locations across the UK. Use the code GETBIRDING26 when booking, for £40 off a 3-night break or £60 off a 4 or 7 night break. The code expires on 30 June 2026 and is for breaks bookable until 1 October 2026.To find out more, visit www.forestholidays.co.uk

In this special episode, our resident birder, composer and nature beatboxer Jason Singh heads into the Sussex woods after dark for Singing with Nightingales — a unique experience that draws guests and musicians back year after year to witness one of nature’s most enchanting performances.For a brief period between mid-April and the end of May, around five thousand pairs of nightingales migrate from Sub-Saharan Africa to southern England, where males fill the night air with their remarkable courtship songs. Alongside folk singer, nature activist and founder of Singing with Nightingales, Sam Lee, Jason explores the beauty, mystery and musicality of the nightingale, while reflecting on the challenges facing this iconic bird and why its song matters now more than ever.Singing with Nightingaleshttps://www.singingwithnightingales.co.uk/Produced by Hana Walker-Brown. Executive Producer is Jane Gerber.This is a Get Birding Production.The podcast is made in collaboration with Forest Holidays, which encourages birdwatching as part of their guests’ stays, with nature sensitive cabins available in 13 incredible locations across the UK. Use the code GETBIRDING26 when booking, for £40 off a 3-night break or £60 off a 4 or 7 night break. The code expires on 30 June 2026 and is for breaks bookable until 1 October 2026.To find out more, visit www.forestholidays.co.uk

In this episode, we’re exploring the connection between birds, nature and mental wellbeing — and why spending time outdoors can help us feel calmer and more connected.Host Sean Bean is joined by singer and actor Will Young, who reflects on rediscovering nature, gardening and the comfort birds have brought him through difficult times. Nature beatboxer and composer Jason Singh shares how birdsong creates a living symphony, while Kings College Professor Andrea Mechelli explains the science behind nature’s positive impact on stress, mood and loneliness.Plus, Dr Mya-Rose Craig answers your birding questions, as Sean and Will reflect on creativity, grief, childhood memories and the peace that birdwatching can bring.Produced by Hana Walker-Brown. Executive Producer is Jane Gerber.This is a Get Birding Production.Wild Minds Substack by Andrea Mechellihttps://andreamechelli.substack.com/The podcast is made in collaboration with Forest Holidays, which encourages birdwatching as part of their guests’ stays, with nature sensitive cabins available in 13 incredible locations across the UK. Use the code GETBIRDING26 when booking, for £40 off a 3-night break or £60 off a 4 or 7 night break. The code expires on 30 June 2026 and is for breaks bookable until 1 October 2026.To find out more, visit www.forestholidays.co.uk

Join The Flock for exclusive content: https://getbird.ing/starling-payment-form/In this episode, we’re tuning into one of nature’s greatest performances—the Dawn Chorus—and the remarkable reasons birds fill the early morning with song.Along the way, host Sean Bean is joined by singer and actor Will Young, who reflects on rediscovering his love of birds, and sound artist Alice Boyd on finding inspiration in listening closely to the natural world.Plus, Dr Mya-Rose Craig answers your birding questions, and Jenny Shelton from the Wildlife Trusts shares how changing landscapes are reshaping the soundscape of Britain—and what that means for the future of birdsong.Produced by Hana Walker-Brown. Executive Producer is Jane Gerber.This is a Get Birding Production. Wildlife Trusts Dawn Chorus Eventshttps://www.wildlifetrusts.org/dawn-chorus-dayThe podcast is made in collaboration with Forest Holidays, which encourages birdwatching as part of their guests’ stays, with nature sensitive cabins available in 13 incredible locations across the UK. Use the code GETBIRDING26 when booking, for £40 off a 3-night break or £60 off a 4 or 7 night break. The code expires on 30 June 2026 and is for breaks bookable until 1 October 2026.To find out more, visit www.forestholidays.co.uk

In this episode, we’re following the vast, invisible highways that birds carve across our skies each spring, and the extraordinary journeys that bring them back to us.We’ll learn how birds navigate thousands of miles using scent, memory and instinct—and what these epic journeys reveal about survival in a rapidly changing world.Along the way, Sean is joined by actor and RSPB ambassador Samuel West, broadcaster Johnny Vaughan on the thrill of a fleeting kingfisher sighting, and Chris Hewson from the British Trust for Ornithology tracking cuckoos across continents.Plus, Dr Mya-Rose Craig answers your birding questions and Zoologist Megan McCubbin shares important new advice on feeding birds safely as seasons change.Beyond the birds themselves, conservationist Nadia Shaikh and birding instructor George Joseph dig into the deeper story—how our relationship with land shapes who gets to experience nature, and why reclaiming that connection could be key to protecting it.Produced by Hana Walker-Brown. Executive Producer is Jane Gerber.This is a Get Birding Production. BTO Cuckoo Tracking Projecthttps://www.bto.org/get-involved/volunteer/projects/cuckoo-trackingRight to Roam https://www.righttoroam.org.uk/Decolonising Birdinghttps://goldengatebirdalliance.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/goldengatebirdalliance/event.jsp?event=14193The podcast is made in collaboration with Forest Holidays, which encourages birdwatching as part of their guests’ stays, with nature sensitive cabins available in 13 incredible locations across the UK. Use the code GETBIRDING26 when booking, for £40 off a 3-night break or £60 off a 4 or 7 night break.  The code expires on 30 June 2026 and is for breaks bookable until 1 October 2026.To find out more, visit www.forestholidays.co.uk