Wingin' It with Holly

Oct 23 2022

Wingin' It with Holly Podcast artwork

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.

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Ep20 - Birdy facts are stranger than fiction

Oct 23 2022 25 mins

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!

Ep19 - Parrots in London?!

Oct 09 2022 18 mins

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 p

Ep18 - Where have all the birds gone?

Sep 25 2022 32 mins

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.Bird Migration on Merchant Ships

Ep17 - Should I place the egg in my bra?

Sep 11 2022 30 mins

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 what to do with a nest they have found in their shed. Some queries, however, are so funny and bizarre that we wanted to share them with you…

Ep16 - Holly in the Highlands

Aug 28 2022 20 mins

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 entailed, so I recorded this episode to explain…RSPB website - Hen HarrierBecome a Bird of Prey Defender

Ep15 - The plight of the Red Kite

Aug 14 2022 24 mins

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 80s. So in this episode I chat to my aunt Karen who was involved in this work to bring them back from the brink.P.S apologies for the r

Ep14 - Eat, sleep and mate whilst flying?!

Jul 31 2022 30 mins

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 Brighton with my friend Jack who can talk for hours about his favourite bird.RSPB website - swiftsSwift MapperSwift Conservation charity

Ep13 - Recording the churring goatsucker!

Jul 17 2022 25 mins

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 time in the hope of seeing and hearing this mysterious bird.RSPB website - NightjarHeath Week 2022

Ep12 - What's that dot in the sky?

Jul 03 2022 27 mins

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 this episode.P.S unfortunately there are a few sound issues with this episode (which I explain in the intro) so my apologies for that!

Ep11 - Helping birds in sticky situations

Jun 19 2022 17 mins

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, how we can help our feathered friends in these sorts of situations. This episode was recorded in Queens Park, Brighton.HelpWildlife.