Living World - Woolston Eyes

LIVING WORLD - WOOLSTON EYES (320kbs-m4a/50mb/22mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 24th June 2018

Often we think of nature reserves are a product of preserving pristine or unique habitat for wildlife. Yet many nature reserves are products of reclaiming man made activity and letting nature take its course, with a little help. For this Living World wildlife presenter Lindsey Chapman relives the magic of a once industrial landscape which Lionel Kelleway explored in 2000.

Lionel visits Woolston Eyes nature reserve near to Warrington where he meets up with Brian Martin who at the time of recording had been at the reserve for over 20 years recording the wildlife. This reserve is owned by the Manchester Ship Canal company and for years was used as a site to deposit dredgings from the canal. Over the decades as Lionel discovered the site became a hotch potch of heaps and shallow areas which since 1980 when the site began the long process of conversion from the devastation of canal spoil into a wildlife haven, yet only a stone's throw from the Warrington urban area.

Along the way Lionel discovers some of the species which had moved in to make this their home, such as sedge warbler and black-necked grebe which the site has become an important breeding area for. In summer many butterflies, moths, other insects can be found, including dragonflies making use of the lagoon ponds which have been created on site.

To bring this story up to date since this programme was first broadcast; Lindsey Chapman offers some recent updates into the denizens of Woolston Eyes.

Producer: Andrew Dawes

Last Word - Ian Wallace

LAST WORD - IAN WALLACE (320kbs-m4a/14mb/6mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 26th November 2021

Ian Wallace, one of the most influential figures in British ornithology. At one time he had seen a wider variety of species of birds than anyone else in Britain.

Interviewed guest: Stephen Moss

Archive clips used: BBC Radio 4, 100 Years of British Birds 07/05/2007; The Sound Approach Podcast, Interview With Ian Wallace 2019.

A Birdsong Garden - Autumn Passage

A BIRDSONG GARDEN - AUTUMN PASSAGE (320kbs-m4a/32mb/14mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 18th October 2021

From the young chiffchaff taking its first words, to the cacophony of pheasants and mallards over the river, in autumn Geoff and his family begin to appreciate the annual visitors on their doorstep as the swallows come...and go once again.

The lockdown through the spring of 2020 gave much space for reflection about life; and for wildlife sound recordist Geoff Sample an opportunity to review the five-year period spent in the remote and quiet Northumbrian home he sought out, to record and study the birdsong of a typical rural garden.

Part of a five-part series, 'A Birdsong Garden' is a mix of memoir, natural history, folklore, birdsong and spacious soundscapes.

Geoff takes us through Autumn and considers how living close to and listening intently to nature can enrich our lives.

Presenter and Producer: Geoff Sample

Executive Producer: Clare Freeman

Commissioned for Culture in Quarantine, funded and supported by The Space Arts, BBC Arts and Arts Council England.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in August 2020.

Two-barred Greenish Warbler, Spurn 18th October 2021

A Two-barred Greenish Warbler was found at Spurn last Saturday. The bird was discovered by visiting birder David Bevan, but identified as a Yellow-browed Warbler. However, sometime later local birder Adam Hutt reidentified the bird as a Two-barred Greenish Warbler, a first for Spurn and the ninth for UK.

Figuring there would probably be a large crowd on the Sunday, I waited until today to make my way to the east coast. I went on news of the Two-barred Greenish Warbler still being present and arrived on site mid-afternoon. I had brief views almost as soon as I arrived, in the understory of the Sycamore on the left of the photo above. Over the next few hours I had several views spread about the small wooded area next to the Spurn Discovery Centre, but each time only for a couple of seconds. Eventually, off to the right of the photo, I did have a series of sustained views out in the open, fortunately far enough away for me to be able to focus my bins!

Photo by Adam Hutt | Photo by Gill O'Neil

Previous records:
1987 Isles of Scilly - Gugh, first-winter, 22nd to 27th October.
1996 Norfolk - Holkham Meals, 15th to 16th October.
2003 Isles of Scilly - Bryher, Samson Hill, 27th to 28th September.
2006 North Yorkshire - Filey, 16th to 18th October.
2016 Orkney - Papa Westray, 1CY, 9th October.
2017 Shetland - Foula, Mucklegrind, 2CY+, 30th May.
2017 Dorset - St Aldhelm's Head, 1CY, 15th to 18th October.
2019 Suffolk - Orford Quay, 1CY+, 13th October.

Migrant Hawker, Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB 15th October 2021

Another visit to Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB yesterday was not much different to two days previously. The first-winter drake Ruddy Shelduck was still at Marsh Covert and the Cattle Egret was having a break from its cattle escort duties on an island on the Reception Pool. Conditions were warm & the sun was out resulting in many Common Darters, a Migrant Hawker (male) and what looked like a Southern Hawker wizzing around the top path, but it was just too fast to get decent views. Birds of note included thousands of Pink-footed Geese wheeling about, a Ruff and a Reeve, brief views of a Great White Egret taking off, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Ruddy Shelduck, Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB 13th October 2021

A visit to Burton Mere Wetlands today was fruitful. The long-staying first-winter drake Ruddy Shelduck was present on Border Pool, giving distant and intermittent views, until it flew to Marsh Covert, giving much better views. This bird was first reported on 16th July 2021. The last Ruddy Shelduck I saw in Cheshire & Wirral was at Parkgate on 24th September 1972.

A Cattle Egret was escorting the herd of cattle around the Main Scrape. There were many Shoveler, Gadwall and Teal. Black-tailed Godwits were spread out over the whole of the reserve. A Raven flew over calling loudly, a Ruff was on Centenary Pool from Border Hide, with a pair of Stonechats on the edge of Border Pool.

Long-toed Stint, Swillington Ings 11th October 2021

Last Friday, 8th October, an adult Long-toed Stint was identified at St. Aidan's RSPB (Swillington Ings) in West Yorkshire, by the Swillington Ings Bird Group. At first it was thought to be a Temminck's Stint, then changed to a Least Sandpiper and later that evening, after photographs had been examined, the true identity was revealed as the third UK record of Long-toed Stint.

Since the last record of Long-toed Stint was in 1982 it was pretty clear many birders would want to see this bird. I avoided the crowds over the weekend, numbering 2000 on Saturday! I played it cool & waited until today, arriving on site mid-afternoon. It was quite a long walk from the RSPB car park to Astley Lake. There was a small crowd of about forty birders on site. The bird was out of view asleep behind a Lapwing when I arrived. After about fifteen minutes it awoke and went about its business of feeding all over the small island nearest the crowd. There were only about twenty birders remaining when I departed after the Long-toed Stint flew to another muddy island further away.

Previous records:
1970 Cornwall - Marazion, 7th to 8th June
1982 Cleveland - Saltholme RSPB, juvenile, 28th August to 1st September

Video by Pete Hines

Discovery - A Sense Of Music

DISCOVERY - A SENSE OF MUSIC (320kbs-m4a/61mb/26mins)
BBC World Service broadcast: 2nd August 2021

Music can make us feel happy and sad. It can compel us to move in time with it, or sing along to a melody. It taps into some integral sense of musicality that binds us together. But music is regimented, organised. That same 'sense' that lets us lean into Beethoven makes a bad note or a missed beat instantly recognisable. But does that same thing happen in the minds of animals? Can a monkey feel moved by Mozart? Will a bird bop to a beat?

Do animals share our 'Sense of Music'?

Charles Darwin himself thought that the basic building blocks of an appreciation for music were shared across the animal kingdom. But over decades of scientific investigation, evidence for this has been vanishingly rare.

Fresh from his revelation that animals' experience of time can be vastly different to our own, in the award-winning programme 'A Sense of Time', presenter Geoff Marsh delves once more into the minds of different species. This time he explores three key aspects of musicality: rhythm, melody and emotional sensitivity.

Geoff finds rhythm is lacking in our closest relatives, the chimpanzees. But it's abundantly clear in a dancing Cockatoo, and internet sensation, named Snowball. He speaks with scientists who have revealed that birds enjoy their own music, but may be listening for something completely different to melody. And Geoff listens to music composed for tamarin monkeys, that apparently they find remarkably relaxing, but which sets us on edge.

In 'A Sense of Music', discover what happens when music meets the animal mind.

Produced by Rory Galloway
Presented by Geoff Marsh

The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed - Chris Packham

THE POET LAUREATE HAS GONE TO HIS SHED - CHRIS PACKHAM (320kbs-m4a/116mb/51mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 4th July 2020

If the poets of the past sat in their garrets dipping their quills in ink and waiting for inspiration to strike, our current Poet Laureate Simon Armitage has a more mundane and domestic arrangement, scratching away at a poem in the shed. As he works on The Owl and the Nightingale, any distraction is welcome, even encouraged, to talk about poetry, music, art, sheds, sherry, owls, nightingales and to throw light on some of the poem's internal themes. However, Lockdown has meant he has had to reach out to technology to find those interruptions.

Wanting to know more about the owl in the poem, Simon talks to naturalist Chris Packham, isolating in his home in the New Forest. Their conversation ranges from ornithology to Asperger syndrome, from Punk music to owl pellets and from the environment to the ability to fly.

The Poet Laureate has gone to his Shed is produced by Susan Roberts.

Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB July/August 2021

I've visited Burton Mere Wetlands a few times recently. Here's a few highlights of both bird and insect life.

Comma butterfly along the path to Bunker Hide 13th July 2021.

Gatekeeper butterfly 11th August 2021.

Common Darter (male) on path to Bunker Hide 13th August 2021.

Common Darter (female) on handrail at Border Hide 13th August 2021.

Southern Hawker (male) along path to Border Hide 13th August 2021.

Great White Egret from Reedbed Screen 14th August 2021. My best ever views!

Other birds and insects of interest seen & heard over the four visits included Green Sandpiper (3), Spotted Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Snipe, Water Rail (3), Buzzard, Egyptian Goose (9), Raven (2), Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Cetti's Warbler (heard a couple of bursts of song from single bird), Great Spotted Woodpecker (2+), Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Azure Damselfly (several on one of the small pools adjacent to the new path to Border Hide), Migrant Hawker (along path to Border Hide), Speckled Wood, Small White butterflies.

Pacific Golden Plover, Frampton Marsh RSPB 10th August 2021

A Pacific Golden Plover arrived at Frampton Marsh RSPB a few weeks ago. A few days later a second bird arrived in exactly the same area of the marsh as the first bird! Both birds have been seen daily in the same area viewable from the old sea wall. There's been a few Pacific Golden Plovers about recently including one on the west coast on Anglesey at Malltraeth, with another bird still present intermittently at various sites along the north Norfolk coast. I headed over to Frampton early this morning, arriving on site mid-morning.

The map on the front of Reception proved very useful, and looking towards the sea wall I could see birders all along it, but there was a small group to the right corresponding to the Pacific Golden Plovers' location on the map, so I headed over. As I walked along the sea wall there was a birder scoping the nearest pool. Naturally, I asked him if he was watching one of the Pacific Golden Plovers, which he was. I sat down on the bank & could see the bird immediately. It was present for the whole time I was on site, sometimes disappearing briefly behind the vegatation.

The second Pacific Golden Plover was a bit further east along the sea wall (It could be seen from where we were watching the other bird). All the birders who were watching this other bird had migrated to where we were watching from, enabling them closer views than the other bird. At this point I moved along the sea wall & watched alone, except for a couple further back along the sea wall.

I did check out the reserve since I'd not been there previously. Most birds were concentrated on the pool(s) behind the main Reception includng loads of Black-tailed Godwits, Avocets, Dunlin and others. Best of all were four Little Stints (two juveniles and two adults).

Video by Pete Hines

American Golden Plover, Hoylake 8th August 2021

An American Golden Plover was found by local birder Tim Kinch at Hoylake yesterday afternoon. Once I'd managed to sort out transport this morning I headed over to Hoylake.

A first-summer and the sixth record for Cheshire & Wirral, had moved further along the beach, about 200yds west of King's Gap. There was a small group watching the bird when I arrived, so I walked the short distance along the beach to join them, The American Golden Plover was feeding voraciously about 80yds away with other waders including Dunlin & Ringed Plover. The bird was on view the whole time I was on site.

Previous records:
1987 Middlewich, juvenile, 20th to 24th October (B. Bowyer, A. G. Goodwin, D. E. Norbury).
1991 Penketh, juvenile, 13th October (A. Clarke).
2003 Leasowe/Meols, juvenile, 20th September (A. Conlin, M. G. Turner).
2009 Leasowe, 11th October (A. Conlin, P. Woollen).
2012 Hilbre, 23rd September (D. Bates, S. R. Williams, C. J. Williams); presumed same, Red Rocks, 27th September (J. E. Turner).

James And The Giant Eagle

JAMES AND THE GIANT EAGLE (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 28th June 2021

Like most small boys James Aldred loved climbing trees and now he has grown up, he's still climbing trees; helping scientists and film crews up into the canopy. When he was invited to help a wildlife team film one of the world's largest eagles in Southern Brazil, it was an offer he couldn't refuse. But what happened next was a nerve-wracking and painful encounter with one of the world's most powerful birds. Harpy Eagles have a body length of over 3ft, a wingspan of over 6ft and weigh 10-12 pounds. Their hind talons can grow up to the size of grizzly bear claws, and are used to strike their prey; monkeys, sloths and possums, which they then carry aloft. When James was asked to climb a tree, to assist with moving a camera on an eagle's nest, he found out exactly why these birds have such an awesome reputation.

Harpy Eagles are found in tropical lowland forests from southeast Mexico to northern Argentina and southern Brazil. Their name is derived from the Harpies in Greek Mythology, which were ferocious winged creatures with sharp claws, a woman's face and a vulture's body.

Harpy Eagles are successful predators, owing primarily to their size and strength. They are also highly manoeuvrable fliers. They have excellent eyesight and good hearing, and are acutely observant and opportunistic birds. Taken together these attributes make for a highly impressive predator. Recordings made by James Aldred on location are combined with interviews with ornithologist Ian Newton and field biologist, Marta Curti (who has spent many years working with Harpy Eagles with The Peregrine Fund) in a programme which explores the behaviour and ecology of Harpy Eagles and what happens when a female tries to protect her young.

Producer Sarah Blunt

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2011.

Elegant Tern, Cemlyn Bay 8th July 2021

An adult Elegant Tern was discovered by local birder Mark Sutton at Cemlyn Bay on 4th July 2021. I headed over to Cemlyn early yesterday morning arriving on site about 8am.

The Elegant Tern had flown out to sea before I arrived, but fortunately had returned & was just about on view on the main island in Cemlyn Lagoon. At first it was partially hidden by vegetation only showing its head & bill as it displayed to the Sandwich Terns by stretching its head & bill up. Sometimes only the bill was visible flashing above the vegetation. However, this changed when the Elegant Tern moved into the more open parts of the tern colony, enabling fantastic views as it continued to try attracting a mate.

After a while the bird again set off out to sea, returning a couple of hours later to the same area of the island with a sand eel in its bill which it tried presenting to Sandwich Terns as part of its mating ritual, again giving excellent views.

The island was covered in terns, mostly Sandwich Terns, but also Arctic Terns and Common Terns, all breeding or feeding young, Some terns used the shingle on the causeway side of the lagoon to feed young or rest only a few feet in front of the admiring small crowd.

Video by Pete Hines

Jessie Aru-Phillips - Naturewatch with Matt Thomas

JESSIE ARU-PHILLIPS - NATUREWATCH WITH MATT THOMAS 12.06.21 (320kbs-m4a/61mb/27mins)
BBC Radio Merseyside broadcast: 12th June 2021

Matt talks to Jessie live from Hilbre Island.

Fingers In The Sparkle Jar by Chris Packham (Omnibus)

FINGERS IN THE SPARKLE JAR BY CHRIS PACKHAM (OMNIBUS) (320kbs-m4a/155mb/67mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 21st March 2021

Chris Packham is a naturalist, nature photographer and author, best known for his television work. But in his lyrical and painfully honest new memoir, he reveals the life-events which would eventually shape him and change him forever.

Chris brings to life his childhood in the 1970s, from his bedroom bursting with birds' eggs and jam jars, to his feral adventures. But throughout his story is the search for freedom, meaning and acceptance in a world that didn't understand him.

Chris begins his recollections as an introverted, unusual young boy, isolated by his obsessions and a loner at school.

This unconventional and uncompromising memoir moves back and forth through time, capturing a child's view of the 60s and 70s – the music, the clothes, the cars – alongside recent, more exposing recollections from adulthood.

Produced by Pippa Vaughan for Loftus Media

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2016.

The Nature Of Spring By Jim Crumley (Omnibus)

THE NATURE OF SPRING BY JIM CRUMLEY (OMNIBUS) (320kbs-m4a/155mb/67mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 4th April 2021

Nature writer Jim Crumley paints a captivating picture of Scotland's wilderness in Spring and the joys of observing its abundant wildlife.

Omnibus of five poetic vignettes read by Simon Tait.

Producer: Bruce Young

First broadcast in five-parts on BBC Radio 4 in April 2019.

Rites Of Spring

RITES OF SPRING (320kbs-m4a/101mb/44mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 6th April 2021

Nature writer Richard Mabey presents an exploration of the natural phenomena of spring and its connections with literature and art.

Richard has kept nature diaries since he was a teenager and retraces some of his old haunts in the Chilterns where he used spend hours walking around by rivers and woods observing spring rites.

He's also joined in Norfolk by bird expert Mark Cocker and together they will be chasing the "spring tide" in Breydon Water.

One of the most respected and senior nature writers in the UK, Ronald Blythe shows Richard the delights of spring in Suffolk. Ronald has been writing about the countryside for more than sixty years and he and Richard discuss how climactic change has affected the season.

Jonathan Bate explores further with Richard the literary connections with spring.

Cornish artist, Kurt Jackson is best known for his dramatic landscapes and his ecological artistic work. He discusses with Richard how spring affects him and his work as an artist.

Producer: Sarah Taylor

First broadcast on on BBC Radio 3 in March 2008.

"Siberian" Chiffchaff, Wallasey 5th to 23rd February 2021

On Monday 5th February 2021 I noticed a small bird in my back yard. Any bird in my back yard is worth a look! As I approached my back window for a closer look, it seemed to be a brown bird, so I was expecting a House Sparrow. However, the bird was now at the back of the buddleia forest in my back yard. I like the buddleia for a couple of reasons: it's great for butterflies & it's free. I'd recently cleared out a large part of the forest (though you can't tell from the photo above taken from my bathroom window) enabling better views of anything arriving, usually Blackbirds. The bird was moving in a very un-sparrow like way, flitting about continually. I raced to get my bins & quietly stepped out of the back door into the yard. The bird was very difficult to see at the back of the buddleia along my back wall, but I did realise immediately it was a warbler & most likely a Chiffchaff. I thought I caught a brief glimpse of a greyer toned head & nape with a green panel on the wing, indicating "Siberian" Chiffchaff. Unfortunately, it flew off to the left & I was unable to see where it went around the corner of next door.

The warbler visited briefly on 6th February 2021 & then again briefly on 8th February 2021, but this time I heard it call a couple of times: a single straight note with no alteration of tone at the end. I saw it again on 18th February & 23rd February 2021. This last observation was the best & I could clearly see grey tones on the head & nape with a green panel on the wing. A whitish supercilium was only visible above the eye.

The call was the one which clinched it as a "Siberian" Chiffchaff. Undoubtedly, the rarest bird I've had in the back yard!

Sounds Natural - Brian Blessed

SOUNDS NATURAL - BRIAN BLESSED (320kbs-m4a/57mb/25mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 12th November 2019

Actor and explorer, Brian Blessed discusses his interest in wildlife and mountaineering with Derek Jones.

The Alligator, Clouded Leopard, Baboon, Ocelot and Geoffroy's Cat are among his choice of recordings from the BBC Sound Archives.

Produced in Bristol by John Burton.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1975.

Goosander, Central Park Lake 10th January 2021

Local birder Rob Bithell reported a female Goosander and a Wigeon on Central Park Lake, Wallasey, yesterday. I took a look this morning not really expecting the Goosander to still be present, but it was, and the Wigeon. Certainly, the closest to home I've seen Goosander.

Mandarin Duck, Arrow Park Lake 7th January 2021

A visit to Arrow Park proved fruitful earlier today. There were five pairs of Mandarin Ducks on the lake. Rather conveniently, a couple clambered down to the edge of the lake opposite me to feed the ducks. Their offerings of bread brought most of the varied population of ducks out into the open water. Most of the Mandarins had been partially hidden in the dense thicket at the edge of the water until this moment. Other birds seen in a wander around the park included Nuthatch, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tit, Bullfinch, Jay, Kestrel & Sparrowhawk.

Snow Bunting, Hoylake 6th January 2021

There's been a flock of eight Snow Buntings on the beach at Hoylake for a couple of weeks, so I popped over today to take a look. Although the flock wasn't difficult to find they did suffer from repeated flushings by dog walkers, other members of the public and a rather selfish young photographer. I'm amazed they put up with all this disturbance, but they do keep returning to their favoured area just west of the Lifeboat station. With patience good views were possible from the promenade without venturing onto the beach.