Discovery: The Chase - 2. Back From The Dead

DISCOVERY: THE CHASE - 2. BACK FROM THE DEAD (96kbs-m4a/19mb/26mins)
BBC World Service broadcast: 4th February 2019

The Night Parrot was supposed to be extinct and became a legend among birdwatchers in Australia: a fat, dumpy, green parrot that lived in the desert and came out at night. The last bird seen alive was promptly shot dead in 1912.

Over 90 years later, a decapitated Night Parrot was found beside a fence in outback Australia, and the hunt for a living bird was on. Ornithologists descended onto the arid plains of Australia’s vast arid interior, but it took another seven years for a single photograph of a live bird.

Incredibly, a population of night parrots had survived. Their exact location is kept secret, and people are still looking for more – or more precisely, listening for more, using acoustic traps to identify calls.

Dr Ann Jones from ABC Australia takes a huge microphone for a spin in the desert to join the hunt for the legendary Night Parrot.

(Photo: Ullala Boss is a Birriliburu Indigenous Ranger, Elder and Traditional Owner and knows the dreaming stories of the Night Parrot. Credit: Dr Ann Jones)

Sounds Natural - Bill Oddie

SOUNDS NATURAL - BILL ODDIE (320kbs-m4a/68mb/30mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 1st January 2019

From the Bar-Tailed Godwit to the Black-Winged Stilt.

Back in the days when BBC Springwatch wasn't even a twinkle in Auntie's transmitters, Bill Oddie from 'The Goodies' tells Derek Jones about his longstanding love of bird watching, and his travels to see them - aided by recordings from the BBC Sound Archive.

Producer: John Burton.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 1973.

Sounds Natural - Peter Cushing

SOUNDS NATURAL - PETER CUSHING (320kbs-m4a/70mb/30mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 5th December 2018

Award-winning actor Peter Cushing takes a break from making horror films to discuss his enthusiasm for the British countryside and its wildlife - aided by recordings from the BBC Sound Archive.

Peter tells Derek Jones how he used to spend hours with his late wife Helen watching wild birds from their home on the estuary at Whitstable in Kent.

Peter Cushing, OBE: born 1913 - died 1994.

Producer: John Burton.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1972.

Chris Packham's Tweet Of The Week

CHRIS PACKHAM'S TWEET OF THE WEEK (320kbs-m4a/33mb/14mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 17th June 2018

Long-time Tweet supporter and stalwart Chris Packham returns to don his binoculars and guide us through his own personal perch in Tweet of the Day.

This omnibus edition contains the following repeated episodes;

Blue Tit - presented by Chris Packham
Blackbird - presented by Chris Packham
Grey Wagtail - presented by Chris Packham
Coot - presented by Chris Packham
Water Rail - presented by Chris Packham

Pied Wheatear, Meols 7th November 2018

News broke yesterday evening of a first-winter male Pied Wheatear seen at Dove Point, Meols for its second day. Photographs had been taken by finder Richard Ashford which were subsequently identified. This is the first record for Cheshire & Wirral. I made my way over to Meols this morning & joined a growing throng of 20 to 30 birders shortly after dawn.

The first-winter male Pied Wheatear performed really well & was on show just about the whole time I was on site, moving about the sea wall & at times only a few feet away. Even when the locals began passing along the pavement between birders & bird, it didn't seem to be bothered & simply flitted over the sea wall & back up onto it again further along. It was difficult for me to take photos due to the blustery wind, but I'm sure others will have taken some cracking shots.

Here's one of the photos Richard took yesterday. Another photo, by Dennis Morrison.

Video by Pete Hines

Grey Catbird, Trevescan 17th October 2018

The second record for the UK of Grey Catbird was found by local birder G. Mitchell at Trevescan, Land's End, Cornwall on 15th October 2018. The only other UK record was South Stack, Anglesey from 4th to 6th October 2001. There was previously another in Ireland at Cape Clear Island on 4th November 1986.

With the Grey Catbird sticking around, I made an early start on Wednesday morning arriving on site just before 1pm. As I arrived my old birding buddy Pete Walton with wife Adrienne were leaving, having not seen the bird, because they were due to fly over to the Isles of Scilly. Since the bird is still present today, hopefully they'll get another chance on the way back home.

There were two areas to view from: the bottom corner of the field being utilised as the car park or from the footpath running around the other side of Treve House. After initially viewing from the car park field I decided to move to the other side. The small stretch of sallows a short distance beyond Treve House was the bird's most favoured spot, although it did range over a wide area between the two viewing sites. My views were quite brief, with it perched for a few seconds on one of the bramble patches, before flying along the hedge & diving into cover on the far side. About an hour and a half later it reappeared & sped towards its favoured area. With my knee & back aching from standing for so long I made my exit, arriving back home in the early hours of Thursday morning, happy to have been able to see the bird, but a little disapponted I didn't get better/longer views.

Here's a great photo by Andrew Jordan

Some of the crowd... waiting... waitng

The favoured sallows area

Video by John Chapple

Squacco Heron, Kilnsea 29th June 2018

When news of an adult Squacco Heron at Kilnsea (Spurn NNR) in Yorkshire appeared yesterday morning, I quickly decided to make the trip over there.

I arrived on site a couple of hours later than planned due to an accident on the A63 shortly after the end of the M62, which closed the the eastbound carriageway. As I approached Spurn a negative message popped up, but was swiftly followed by a positive message with the bird simply moving between two favoured areas. Fortunately for me, the new location was on the Canal Scrape which is right next to the new vistor center & only a few paces from the car park. I had a quick look through to the back of the Canal Scrape just before entering the hide & could see the bird. The Squacco Heron performed really well as it moved slowly along the far bank, pausing motionless for several seconds at a time. When a Little Egret wandered along there was a bit of an altercation with the egret chasing off the heron. This resulted in some excellent flight views as the Squacco Heron circled the scrape before setting back down. After about 20mins the heron took off & headed back to the other area it was frequenting a short distance to the north.

Squacco Heron is another species I've seen many of abroad, but failed to see in the UK previously, so very satisfying to finally catch up with one.