Wingin' It with Holly – Details, episodes & analysis

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

We often hear birdsong without actually seeing the performer behind the voice! So in this episode I teach my brother Paddy some easy ways to identify a select few garden birds by their song and sounds – including dunnocks, robins, blackbirds, great tits, blue tits and wrens.

There are lots of naughty names in nature, and it seems the birdy world is no exception – we’re talking great tits, common shags, woodcocks – you name it. So for this episode I gathered some peops to discuss this very important subject!

P.S apologies for the rumbly microphone sounds throughout.

March to August is our busiest nesting season and baby birds are hatching all around us. So what should you do if you come across a chick outside of its nest? I ask my cousin Katie who is a wildlife advisor to the public.

HelpWildlife.co.uk - find a wildlife rescue

Sunday 1st May is International Dawn Chorus Day – a worldwide celebration of nature’s greatest symphony! All across the world people rise early to revel in the sweet sounds of birdsong. So for this episode, my mum and I got up (very) early to experience the dawn chorus for ourselves and hopefully inspire you to set that early alarm too…

RSPB website - International Dawn Chorus Day

I recently spent a wonderful two weeks travelling through Mexico with my friend Tanya, and whilst there i recorded just some of the amazing bird sounds we heard. So this episode is my audio (birdy) diary of Mexico!

Gulls are fascinating birds, but they have a slightly bad rep here in Brighton and in many seaside towns for being loud and ballsy! So in this episode I chat to my cousin Katie about why they behave the way they do, and how we can learn to better understand them.

RSPB website - Herring gull

Have you ever seen a starling murmuration? I’ve always wondered why they do it, so in this episode I ask my friend jack – a conservation officer – about the theories behind this magical sky dance!

Links:
RSPB website - starling murmurations
RSPB shop - starling nestbox

In this episode I show my sister, Chloe, a fun and easy way to tell the difference between our most common pigeon and dove species – and then i put her new-found knowledge to the test!

Links:
RSPB Guide to Birdsong by Adrian Thomas
RSPB website - pigeons and doves
Cosmic Creative Designs