Wingin' It with Holly
This podcast is for anyone who is curious about birds and nature and wants to find out more in a casual and accessible way. In these short features, I chat about the fun and interesting things I’ve learnt about birds and the birdy world since I got hooked 5 years ago. Chatting with friends, enthusiasts and experts from the nature conservation sector, this podcast will explore easy ways to identify birds by sight and sound, and take deep dives into specific species, behaviours and funny/interesting facts. I’m hoping these episodes will help you notice and discover more about our feathered friends – especially if you’re curious about the nature around you but are not sure where to take that curiosity. Check out @winginitwithholly on Instagram and @winginitwithholly2198 on YouTube. Artwork is by @cosmiccreativedesigns and the intro/outro music is Outdoors In Summer by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com.
Episodes
20 episodes
Ep20 - Birdy facts are stranger than fiction
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...
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Episode 20
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25:41
Ep19 - Parrots in London?!
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-trop...
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Episode 19
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18:49
Ep18 - Where have all the birds gone?
You may have noticed that, here in the UK, a lot of our birds seem to disappear after the summer. But where do they go and why? In spring this year I spoke to my uncle Ivan – who has been birdwatching for 50+ years – about bird migration....
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Episode 18
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32:51
Ep17 - Should I place the egg in my bra?
As a Wildlife Advisor to the public, my cousin Katie deals with all kinds of birdie queries – whether it’s someone needing help identifying a bird in their garden, someone asking advice on how to help an injured bird, or someone asking wh...
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Episode 17
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30:19
Ep16 - Holly in the Highlands
Back in June I spent four weeks living on a remote nature reserve in the Highlands of Scotland for my work sabbatical – where I monitored one of our rarest birds of prey, the Hen Harrier. People kept asking what exactly I was doing and what it ...
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Episode 16
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20:58
Ep15 - The plight of the Red Kite
Red Kites are one of our most striking and widespread birds of prey – but did you know they almost went extinct in the UK a few decades ago and we wouldn’t be seeing them now if it wasn’t for a re-introduction programme that took place in the 8...
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Episode 15
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24:15
Ep14 - Eat, sleep and mate whilst flying?!
Swifts are built for the skies! With the longest uninterrupted flight on record, swifts can stay in the air for 10 months straight(!), and will sleep, eat, bathe and even mate whilst flying! So in this episode, I visit a swift hotspot in Bright...
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Episode 14
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30:21
Ep13 - Recording the churring goatsucker!
The nocturnal Nightjar is one of our most fascinating birds – known for its strange wide mouth, distinctive ‘churring’ call, and a mythical ability to steal milk from goats! So in this episode, my friend Jack and I go to Ashdown Forest at night...
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Episode 13
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25:57
Ep12 - What's that dot in the sky?
How can you identify a bird of prey species when it is so high up in the sky it simply looks like a moving blob?! Well there are clues to look out for that my aunt Karen – a lifelong birder who certainly knows her stuff – teaches me in th...
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Episode 12
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27:47
Ep11 - Helping birds in sticky situations
Whether it's birds flying into windows, birds getting stuck in chimneys, or even birds that have been injured by a predator – sometimes they need a little helping hand. So in this episode I ask my cousin Katie, a Wildlife Advisor to the public,...
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Episode 11
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17:36
Ep10 - Who sings that song?
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, g...
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Episode 10
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25:02
Ep9 - Tits, shags and boobies
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...
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Episode 9
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26:54
Ep8 - Found a baby bird?
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.
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Episode 8
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18:20
Ep7 - Waking up for the Dawn Chorus
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 e...
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Episode 7
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24:42
Ep6 - The (birdy) sounds of Mexico
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!
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Episode 6
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24:58
Ep5 - There's no such thing as a seagull
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 bett...
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Episode 5
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22:08
Ep4 - Why do starlings dance?
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:
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Episode 4
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24:04
Ep3 - Three pigeons in a pod
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:
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Episode 3
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20:33