Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast SOUNDYARD

Chris Skinner is up at the crack of dawn on the 1st of May to capture the sounds of the morning at High Ash Farm. Part of daily duties involve checking in on the swallows.
Matthew Gudgin joins later on in the sunshine and the pair begin their journey around the farm by looking at crab apple trees. 


Chris and Matthew head to a bird hide and Chris explains the unusual behaviour of the male rooks he’s been noticing. They’ve worked out a new way to get essential water to the females rooks in the nest.


They both come away with plenty of nettles stings whilst looking at the delicate plants on the woodland floor, but it was worth it!


Listener questions cover ladybirds, water levels and honey bees.

Click here to download the MP3 file of this episode.
At the beginning of this episode we hear from the audio producers who make Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast. Their non-profit organisation SOUNDYARD has been nominated for a Norfolk Arts Award. It's a public vote and the business appears under the Broadcast & Media Award. Click here to vote and for more details 

Click here to donate to the podcast.

If you have a question that you'd like Chris to answer on the podcast, send an email to: chris@countrysidepodcast.co.uk

Join the official Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast newsletter

Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast is produced by SOUNDYARD - a non-profit company on a mission to turn up the volume on under-heard voices.
Join the SOUNDYARD newsletter

Chris Skinner shares a moments reflection whilst waiting to see the first swift arrive at Aldeburgh beach. He pinpoints the exact moment when his relationship with wildlife changed forever. 
Matthew Gudgin arrives at High Ash Farm and the pair take a look at the hidden wonders of the horse chestnut tree. They also study the hawthorne in flower before escaping the chill and retreating to the farm truck to answer questions sent in from listeners.

Click here to download the MP3 of the episode. 
At the beginning of this episode we hear from the audio producers who make Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast. Their non-profit organisation SOUNDYARD has been nominated for a Norfolk Arts Award. It's a public vote and the business appears under the Broadcast & Media Award. Click here to vote and for more details 

Click here to donate to the podcast.

If you have a question that you'd like Chris to answer on the podcast, send an email to: chris@countrysidepodcast.co.uk

Join the official Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast newsletter

Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast is produced by SOUNDYARD - a non-profit company on a mission to turn up the volume on under-heard voices.
Join the SOUNDYARD newsletter

Chris Skinner starts the day with his elderly geese before checking in on the swallows busy spring cleaning their nests.

Matthew Gudgin joins Chris and Rat, his terrible terrier to see the bluebells at High Ash Farm. He explains how these bluebells return year on year and bring a lot of joy to a lots of visitors.

Chris takes Matthew to another wooded area that is also carpeted with bluebells and they answer questions from listeners about tree abnormalities, burr poaching and animal tracks.

Click here to download the MP3 file of this episode.
At the beginning of this episode we hear from the audio producers who make Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast. Their non-profit organisation SOUNDYARD has been nominated for a Norfolk Arts Award. It's a public vote and the business appears under the Broadcast & Media Award. Click here to vote and for more details 

Click here to donate to the podcast.

If you have a question that you'd like Chris to answer on the podcast, send an email to: chris@countrysidepodcast.co.uk

Join the official Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast newsletter

Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast is produced by SOUNDYARD - a non-profit company on a mission to turn up the volume on under-heard voices.
Join the SOUNDYARD newsletter

Chris Skinner and terrible terrier, Rat take refuge in the farm truck from Storm Kathleen and share the benefits of wind for farmers and for pollination. Chris explains the life of the ash trees and why they thrive in certain areas. 

Matthew Gudgin joins Chris at the yard and they delight at the arrival of swallows at the farm.

The pair marvel at the tractor working in the field before talking crop circles on the outskirts of Notre Dame Wood. They take a look at the maturing British native trees including the blossoming wild cherry being enjoyed by the bees and butterflies. 

Finally, Chris and Matthew bask in the sun and answer listener questions about owls, troubled bees and a hummingbird hawk moth.

Click here to download the MP3 file of this episode.



At the beginning of this episode we hear from the audio producers who make Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast. Their non-profit organisation SOUNDYARD has been nominated for a Norfolk Arts Award. It's a public vote and the business appears under the Broadcast & Media Award. Click here to vote and for more details 

Click here to donate to the podcast.

If you have a question that you'd like Chris to answer on the podcast, send an email to: chris@countrysidepodcast.co.uk

Join the official Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast newsletter

Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast is produced by SOUNDYARD - a non-profit company on a mission to turn up the volume on under-heard voices.
Join the SOUNDYARD newsletter

Chris Skinner shares his early morning by showcasing the dawn chorus featuring solos from a sparrow, collared dove and song thrush.
After a very wet winter and now an even wetter spring, Chris reflects on what high rainfall means for the farm in the next few months.
Chris and Matthew Gudgin observe a family of inquisitive Little Owls at the farm. Will they see more than a wing flutter?
Click here to see the owls in their hollow on High Ash Farm’s Facebook page
They visit the noisy rookery and admire the magnificent nests and behaviours of the birds.
The pair then sit and answer listener questions about bird feed preferences, Dunnocks and frogspawn.

Click here to download the MP3 file of this episode.
 
At the beginning of this episode we hear from the audio producers who make Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast. Their non-profit organisation SOUNDYARD has been nominated for a Norfolk Arts Award. It's a public vote and the business appears under the Broadcast & Media Award. Click here to vote and for more details 

Click here to donate to the podcast.

If you have a question that you'd like Chris to answer on the podcast, send an email to: chris@countrysidepodcast.co.uk

Join the official Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast newsletter

Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast is produced by SOUNDYARD - a non-profit company on a mission to turn up the volume on under-heard voices.
Join the SOUNDYARD newsletter

Chris Skinner captures the eerie sound of a roe buck barking in the woodland and High Ash Farm. He talks us though the risky behaviour of a particularly brave fox at the entrance of a badger set that he caught on his night vision camera.

Click here to see the video on High Ash Farm Facebook Page

Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin take a punt and enjoy a tour around Wheatfen Nature Reserve to hear about the legacy of a man who inspired Chris to look after wildlife on the farm.

Click here to learn more about Wheatfen Nature Reserve

Chris talks about the speed of the wildlife at the farm and also manages to solve a machinery mystery in this week's questions.

Click here to download the MP3 file of this episode
At the beginning of this episode we hear from the audio producers who make Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast. Their non-profit organisation SOUNDYARD has been nominated for a Norfolk Arts Award. It's a public vote and the business appears under the Broadcast & Media Award. Click here to vote and for more details 

Click here to donate to the podcast.

If you have a question that you'd like Chris to answer on the podcast, send an email to: chris@countrysidepodcast.co.uk

Join the official Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast newsletter

Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast is produced by SOUNDYARD - a non-profit company on a mission to turn up the volume on under-heard voices.
Join the SOUNDYARD newsletter