Get Birding

Being in lockdown has unleashed our love for nature. Get Birding is a podcast for budding birdwatchers and aims to help everyone, anywhere, discover more about the birds on our doorsteps. We want to break down barriers to birdwatching and believe that access to nature should be a right, not a privilege.In this, the last in the current series of Get Birding, Hamza is settling in for the winter. With his guests he explores what can be a difficult time for birds, and starts to look towards spring. Earlier this series Hamza spoke to the RSPBs Adrian Thomas about his passion for birds and shared some tips for making our gardens as hospitable as possible for this.. This time of year can be difficult for birds as they struggle to find food and Adrian shares some of his tips for supporting birdlife at this time of year.Next Hamza speaks to an ecologist who works for an energy company with an interest in bats as well as Birds. Dr Kim Wallace speaks to Hamza about some of the work she is involved with during the winter months. They discuss the differences and challenges in bird ringing different types of waterfowl and Hamza continues his investigation into how birds stay warm in Winter.Chad Crouch is musician and birder who whose music will be well known to podcast fans, even if they do not recognise his name. He will be particularly familiar to Get Birding listeners as he makes all the music used in the show. He speaks about birding in his pacific northwest home and explains how he makes his music and how birds influence his work.Host: Hamza YassinGuests: Adrian Thomas, Kim Wallace and Chad CrouchProducer: Jo BarrattExecutive Producers: Jane Gerber & Katie DerhamProduction Co-ordinator: Louis FaceyAll music by Poddington Bear and Chad Crouch. Additional birdsong and nature recordings by richwise, petebuchwald, leonsound and benboncan under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence.Podcast art by Make ProductionsFollow us on Twitter & Instagram @getbirdingpod Sponsored by birding binoculars specialist Swarovski Optik. To Find out more visit: https://www.swarovskioptik.com/gb/en/birdingSwarovski Optik, headquartered in Absam, Tyrol, is part of the Swarovski group of companies. Founded in 1949, the Austrian company specialises in the development and manufacturing of long-range optical instruments of the highest precision in the premium segment of the market. The binoculars, spotting scopes and optronic instruments are products of choice for demanding users. The company’s success is based on its innovative strength, the quality and intrinsic value of its products, and their functional and esthetic design. The appreciation of nature is an essential part of its company philosophy and is reflected commendably in its environment-friendly production and its long-term commitment to selected nature conservation projects.  Sponsored by Zurich Insurance - insuring conservation groups across the UK. To find out more visit Zurich.co.uk/getbirdingZurich insure more than 15,000 not-for-profit organisations of all shapes and sizes including conservation, gardening and ornithological groups across England, Scotland and Wales.

Hamza lives in the west coast of Scotland by the sea and has a small brackish loch just yards from his house. He’s surrounded by birds of many different kinds. But water attracts birds in whatever environment you live in, from your local pond, to a puddle at the side of a busy street. This week Hamza meets people who live in or near water and explores the varied birdlife that they encounter. Ajay Tegala was a guest in the first series of Get Birding. In this episode we visit him at his home in the Norfolk Fens and get to know him a little better. He talks us though his daily work as a ranger there, his passion for wildlife and introduces a few of the local birds, including cranes and a number of seasonal visitors.Duncan Halpin lives in the Lifeboat house at the National Trust reserve Blakeney Point on the North Norfolk coast. The site is home to a huge proportion of the UK’s tern population. Duncan works as a ranger there and he talks Hamza though his work including some surprising methods for protecting the little birds in his care, at this very important site. Martin Noble is the guitarist with the band Sea Power, sometimes called the ornithological band. Martin talks to us about this and about his love for wildlife and nature, from his home on the south Coast. Host: Hamza YassinGuests: Ajay Tegala, Duncan Halpin and Martin NobleProducer: Jo BarrattExecutive Producers: Jane Gerber & Katie DerhamProduction Co-ordinator: Louis FaceyAll music by Poddington Bear. Additional nature recordings by klankbeeld, amholma, squashy555, keth-selmes and inchadney under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Additional music: The Great Skua, Waving Flags and Boy Vertiginous by Sea PowerPodcast art by Make ProductionsFollow us on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook @GetBirdingPodSponsored by birding binoculars specialist Swarovski Optik. To Find out more visit: https://www.swarovskioptik.com/gb/en/birdingSwarovski Optik, headquartered in Absam, Tyrol, is part of the Swarovski group of companies. Founded in 1949, the Austrian company specialises in the development and manufacturing of long-range optical instruments of the highest precision in the premium segment of the market. The binoculars, spotting scopes and optronic instruments are products of choice for demanding users. The company’s success is based on its innovative strength, the quality and intrinsic value of its products, and their functional and esthetic design. The appreciation of nature is an essential part of its company philosophy and is reflected commendably in its environment-friendly production and its long-term commitment to selected nature conservation projects.  Sponsored by Zurich Insurance - insuring conservation groups across the UK. To find out more visit Zurich.co.uk/getbirdingZurich insure more than 15,000 not-for-profit organisations of all shapes and sizes including conservation, gardening and ornithological groups across England, Scotland and Wales.

Being in lockdown has unleashed our love for nature. Get Birding is a podcast for budding birdwatchers and aims to help everyone, anywhere, discover more about the birds on our doorsteps. We want to break down barriers to birdwatching and believe that access to nature should be a right, not a privilege. In this episode of Get Birding Hamza considers the way in which birds are important to us as families and explores his passion for inspiring children about the magic of birds and the natural world with his guests. Rachel Ball and her daughter Hope are avid listeners of Get Birding. The podcast has been a companion to their growing exploration of local bird life as a family. Hamza and Rachel discuss the value of birding for children with additional needs and how birding can be a fantastic way for the whole family to spend time together.Generation Wild is a project by the Wildlife and Wetland Trust that will connect 45,000 children and their families with nature, fostering a life-long love of the natural world for a new generation. We learn about the project and are introduced to Ava, who was just like any other osprey until the day she landed on a mysterious giant nest and a magical transformation took place.Charles Foster is a writer, barrister and traveller. He's written books on travel, evolutionary biology, natural history, anthropology, theology, archaeology, philosophy and law. Including his latest 'Being a Human'. He has a lifelong love of birds and talks about this as he considers what birds can teach us about ourselves and our families.Host: Hamza YassinGuests: Rachel Ball, Charlotte Levene and Charles FosterProducer: Jo BarrattExecutive Producers: Jane Gerber & Katie DerhamProduction Co-ordinator: Louis FaceyAll music by Poddington Bear. Additional birdsong and nature recordings by taavhaap, earthsounds and benboncan under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licencePodcast art by Make ProductionsFollow us on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook @getbirdingpodSponsored by birding binoculars specialist Swarovski Optik. To Find out more visit: https://www.swarovskioptik.com/gb/en/birdingSwarovski Optik, headquartered in Absam, Tyrol, is part of the Swarovski group of companies. Founded in 1949, the Austrian company specialises in the development and manufacturing of long-range optical instruments of the highest precision in the premium segment of the market. The binoculars, spotting scopes and optronic instruments are products of choice for demanding users. The company’s success is based on its innovative strength, the quality and intrinsic value of its products, and their functional and esthetic design. The appreciation of nature is an essential part of its company philosophy and is reflected commendably in its environment-friendly production and its long-term commitment to selected nature conservation projects.  Sponsored by Zurich Insurance - insuring conservation groups across the UK. To find out more visit Zurich.co.uk/getbirdingZurich insure more than 15,000 not-for-profit organisations of all shapes and sizes including conservation, gardening and ornithological groups across England, Scotland and Wales.