Nature Tripping Podcast
Nature Tripping is a podcast project by Jo Kennedy and Cathy Shaw based on the simple idea of making small audio trips outside to explore nature in Britain. We’ve been into the woods, up to the moors, down to the river bank, on to estuarine mudflats and even across the sea to remote islands. We like to chat but also listen-in to the surroundings, so in each podcast you’ll find a mixture of informative conversation and the sounds of the local surroundings and wildlife. We made our first episode back in November 2019 and have continued on and off since then as time allows, with recent episodes including conversations with ecologists and environmental organisations, artists and scholars. You can listen to all episodes here, or find Nature Tripping on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox and other podcast directories.
“I love the pace of these podcasts. Informative and entertaining commentary but the place with its nature and sounds is allowed proper prominence. Great sound recording”
“Felt like I was on a brilliant bird watching walk with an expert listening to this....can’t wait to listen to the next one!”
“Just tweeted your podcast - very good sound quality and you guys have very appealing broadcast voices”
Episode 8 - April Dawn Chorus, Northern England
This episode is a long field recording of a dawn chorus made at the beginning of April, and accompanies our podcasts on learning birdsong in the coronavirus lockdown (episodes 6 & 7). We provide a short spoken introduction, but then just leave the birds to it.
Episode 7 - Learning Birdsong in the Coronavirus Lockdown - Part 2
Coronavirus lockdown continues, but song thrushes and blackbirds are singing away in parks and gardens. Join Cathy and Jo in this episode to listen to and learn about their distinctive songs. Meanwhile the first summer visitors are back (chiff chaff), and chatty goldfinches seem to be everywhere. (Song Thrush @ 1min 55secs; Blackbird @ 8 min 35 secs; Chiff Chaff @ 18mins 0 secs; Goldfinch @ 26mins 26secs)
Episode 6 - Learning Birdsong in the Coronavirus Lockdown - Part 1
Cathy and Jo can't go nature tripping, so instead they're listening to birdsong on their doorstep, and sharing some tips on how to identify song from three of the nations's commonest species. (Robin @ 8min 15secs; Wren @ 15mins 0secs; Chaffinch @ 25mins 58 secs).
Episode 5 - A Hebridean Beach in Winter
Storm Ciara has not long passed. Cathy and Jo are on a Hebridean Island and take a trip to the beach to experience wind, waves, stacks of seaweed and an encounter with the local seals
Episode 4 - Big Garden Birdwatch
It’s the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch weekend. Jo and Cathy stock up the bird feeders and settle in to observe what’s going on outside the back door. With small microphones attached to the garden tree, close-up sounds of birds pecking for food, beating their wings and squabbling with each other are revealed. The podcast ends with an extended recording of activity at the bird feeders.
Episode 3 - Winter Dawn Chorus
As day is breaking Cathy and Jo visit the local allotments to listen to the winter dawn chorus and chat about identifying bird species by their song. After singing alone in the darkness, robins are joined by wrens, blackbirds and tits, as well as some less familiar British species, proving that although it's cold and dark, winter can be a fruitful time to listen out for birds
Episode 2 - Caerlaverock
It's a windy weekend in December and Cathy and Jo are at Caerlaverock on the Solway Firth. They listen to the wild ducks, geese and swans over-wintering in the vast merse (salt marshes) for which this area is famous. It proves to be one of the nosiest wildlife experiences to be heard in the British Isles during winter. The podcast includes (at the end) a long recording of the busy wetland soundscape at dawn, featuring wigeon, whooper swans and even some curlew
Episode 1 - Morecambe Bay
Cathy and Jo take a field trip to Morecambe Bay - a popular winter feeding ground for many wading birds and ducks. Join them as the tide rushes in for a discussion about this vast estuarine habitat and its different bird species, their feeding behaviours, and migratory patterns. Time is also spent discussing the plight of the curlew - present on the Bay, but also one of Britain's most endangered birds.
