Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcasts – Details, episodes & analysis

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Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a mild mid-November morning at High Ash Farm, where autumn's unsettled chill stirs flocks of goldfinches into a dazzling display amid teasel heads and thistle margins, their yellow wing bars flashing as they feast on seeds in a biennial bounty perfect for butterflies and overwintering cover. Venture to the ancient Roman capital of eastern Britain on the farm's edge, pondering monumental shifts in agriculture—from wartime ploughing with horses to modern self-sufficiency challenges, commodity pressures, and diversification into solar panels or public access—amid tales of Iceni tribes, Boudica's rebellion, and imported walnuts in amphorae. Spotlight a green woodpecker probing for ants on close-grazed pastures, its iridescent plumage and shocking red crown a vivid highlight, alongside erupting lapwing flocks in cold-weather migrations and deceitful wing-dragging displays. Marvel at skylark clans gathering in courtship flights over pollen and nectar fields, their hovering silhouettes a red-listed delight, while insects seek hibernation nooks and listener greetings mark the podcast's second anniversary. A reflective ramble through seasonal spectacles, historical harvests, and evolving rural realities, ideal for embracing the fleeting warmth before winter's grasp.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/18150574-episode-2-45-teasel-treasures-and-skylark-symphonies.mp3?download=true

Support the show

Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
Chris@highashfarm.com

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
https://donorbox.org/podcast-12
or from the Podcast page here:
Podcast | High Ash Farm

Send us Fan Mail

Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a damp November evening at High Ash Farm for a nocturnal safari, starting in the bustling farmyard where torchlight reveals smooth newts feasting on wriggling worms amid leaf litter, their amphibian lives split between aquatic springs and terrestrial nights, alongside dusky slugs grazing on fungi and leaving slimy trails up mossy walls. Venture into pitch-black fields to spotlight hares congregating in open grasslands, leverets born furred and alert, contrasting with burrowing rabbits bolting for cover, while moths flutter by, evoking night-time predators like bats with ultrasonic echoes and nightjars trawling the air. Encounter reflective-eyed little owls on short turf, elusive roe deer flashing white rumps, and bounding Chinese water deer vanishing into undergrowth, all amid discussions of historical warreners, myxomatosis impacts, and seasonal shifts in wildlife behaviour. Reflect on listener queries about hybrid horse chestnuts with empty conker cases, cover crops boosting soil health and skylarks, and speedy hedgehogs scouting hog houses for hibernation. An enchanting after-dark exploration of hidden habitats, mammalian marvels, and the intricate rhythms of countryside nightlife, ideal for uncovering the secrets that daylight conceals.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/18116031-episode-2-44-nocturnal-newts-and-hare-havens.mp3?download=true

Support the show

Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
Chris@highashfarm.com

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
https://donorbox.org/podcast-12
or from the Podcast page here:
Podcast | High Ash Farm

Send us Fan Mail

Join Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin on a sun-drenched late August morning at High Ash Farm in the Norfolk countryside. This episode explores the serene beauty of the farm’s lake, where a majestic young mute swan is moulting amid darting swallows, vibrant kingfishers, and upending mallards. Discover the perils of lead poisoning for swans and the thriving aquatic plants like gipsy wort and flag iris. Venture to bountiful hedgerows laden with hawthorn berries, blackthorn sloes, and rose hips, signalling a spectacular mast year for wildlife. Delight in the orchard’s overflowing harvest of Victoria plums, Cox’s apples, and the quirky native medlar tree. Chris answers listener questions on peculiar rose galls, lingering tadpoles, and the alarming decline in swifts and insects. The episode closes with a poignant reading of Kevin McManus’s poem “The Turning of August,” capturing the subtle shift from summer’s warmth to autumn’s edge. Perfect for nature enthusiasts seeking a poetic glimpse into rural life’s rhythms.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/17747895-episode-2-35-lakeside-moults-and-orchard-opulence.mp3?download=true

Support the show

Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
Chris@highashfarm.com

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
https://donorbox.org/podcast-12
or from the Podcast page here:
Podcast | High Ash Farm

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
Chris@highashfarm.com

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
https://donorbox.org/podcast-12
or from the Podcast page here:
Podcast | High Ash Farm

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
Chris@highashfarm.com

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
https://donorbox.org/podcast-12
or from the Podcast page here:
Podcast | High Ash Farm

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
Chris@highashfarm.com

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
https://donorbox.org/podcast-12
or from the Podcast page here:
Podcast | High Ash Farm

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
Chris@highashfarm.com

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
https://donorbox.org/podcast-12
or from the Podcast page here:
Podcast | High Ash Farm

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
Chris@highashfarm.com

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
https://donorbox.org/podcast-12
or from the Podcast page here:
Podcast | High Ash Farm

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
Chris@highashfarm.com

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
https://donorbox.org/podcast-12
or from the Podcast page here:
Podcast | High Ash Farm

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
Chris@highashfarm.com

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
https://donorbox.org/podcast-12
or from the Podcast page here:
Podcast | High Ash Farm