Episode 28

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Published on:

5th May 2024

Birding in Bath

This episode is published on International Dawn Chorus Day which takes place on the first Sunday of May every year and this year it’s Sunday May 5th. It  is a worldwide celebration of nature's greatest symphony and in this show we want to celebrate birds in general, the birds of Bath and their incredible songs.  One of the main reasons that birds like to sing at dawn is that it’s quieter then,  the air is usually very still and birdsong has been shown to carry 20 times further at dawn. 

Remember you don't have to head out to a nature reserve, you can always just open your window - and listen.

The episode starts off very early one morning just behind Sydney gardens with expert bird listener Lucy Starling who was keen to find out whether a pair of sedge warblers had returned to nest in Bathampton meadows.

Ed Drewitt is a local naturalist, author, tour leader, birder, photographer, public speaker, bird ringer, zoologist, feather expert and he’s currently studying for a PhD based on researching Peregrines for the last 24 years. He talks about what the dawn chorus means to him and describes the life of a peregrine falcon and the Peregrine Project in Bath.

The episode finishes with a walk organised by the Cotswolds Wardens with expert birder Marika Kovacs.

Credits

Music: Audionautix

Dawn Chorus audio kindly recorded by Ed Drewitt

Produced by Pommy Harmar

Links

RSPB - dawn chorus - www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/news/the-dawn-chorus-all-you-need-to-know-about-natures-big-show

Bath Peregrine Project nest site webcam - www.hawkandowltrust.org/live-cameras/bath-peregrines

Cotswold Warden Walks - www.cotswolds-nl.org.uk/visiting-and-exploring/guided-walks

Ed Drewitt - www.eddrewitt.co.uk

Bath Natural History Society - www.bathnats.org.uk

Bathscape - www.bathscape.co.uk



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About the Podcast

Footprints
This podcast is designed to inspire you to get out and explore the beautiful natural landscape surrounding the city of Bath, with its hills and valleys, grasslands and woodlands.

Season 1 brought a monthly flavour of the September walking festival through interviews with special guests, a recorded local walk and a 'top-tip' section with festival organiser Lucy Bartlett.

Season 2 delves deep into the rich diversity of the Bathscape, its culture, heritage, landscape and people.

Footprints was nominated for an ARIA (Audio and Radio Industry Awards) in 2023 in the Grassroots category and in 2023 and 2024 in the Best Local Show category!

Hosted and produced by walking and podcasting enthusiast Pommy Harmar. Get in touch with us through Facebook or Twitter, visit our website: www.bathscape.co.uk or email pommyharmar@yahoo.co.uk

About your hosts

Pommy Harmar

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Freelance Journalist, radio producer, podcaster and walker. Pommy has been working in radio since 2013. She has produced and hosted podcasts including Sleeping with the Moon, Footprints, The Bristol Walkfest Podcast, The Quarantini, and Follow The Sun.

"It was excellent, really interesting and informative. The details and the way it was done, with three women farmers as key players, was really refreshing. I liked the voiceover and all the interviews." (Footprints, season 2 listener)

"All your topics on the Footprints podcast were relevant and fascinating to me as an older, female solo walker for the first time in the U.K." (Footprints season 1 listener)

Email: pommyharmar@yahoo.co.uk

Lucy Bartlett

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Lucy is the Bathscape Community Projects Officer and a keen walker. She organises the annual Bathscape Walking Festival which aims to encourage people to discover the beautiful landscape around Bath.
Bathscape is very grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and players of the National Lottery who fund our work.