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In this vibrant episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin brave a blustery June morning at High Ash Farm, where summer’s rhythm pulses through Norfolk’s countryside. By a windswept hedgerow, they marvel at field and dog roses, their delicate white and pink petals whispering tales of Roman introductions and heralding scarlet hips for autumn. A majestic red kite, mobbed by crows, glides over crimson-tinted soil, joined by buzzards relishing disc-churned invertebrates. In a young woodland, a lone common spotted orchid glows with pinkish-purple spikes, its ancient seed thriving in chalky clay through mysterious fungal bonds. Amidst pelting rain, four swallow fledglings dart through a stable, mastering flight in a whirlwind of wings. From cuckoo spit’s frothy secrets to a bee swarm’s rooftop haven, listener queries weave through vivid discoveries, celebrating June’s untamed symphony.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/17293128-episode-2-23-roses-and-red-kites-june-s-wild-waltz.mp3?download=true

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Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
Chris@highashfarm.com

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
https://donorbox.org/podcast-12
or from the Podcast page here:
Podcast | High Ash Farm

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"Woodpeckers and Witches’ Brooms: Summer’s Secret Symphony"
In this captivating episode of the Countryside Podcasts, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin dive into the early summer splendour of High Ash Farm, where nature hums with hidden wonders. From their bird hide, they marvel at great spotted woodpeckers—vivid parents darting to a lofty nest, feeding insatiable chicks in a slender sycamore’s embrace. Amidst the woodland’s rustle, they uncover the sticky allure of honeydew, as aphids coat sycamore leaves, fuelling swallows and swifts in their aerial dance. Venturing to a sunlit slope, the duo kneels before a dazzling display of bee orchids, their bee-mimicking petals thriving despite drought, alongside buzzing bumblebees on sainfoin. A listener’s query unveils the eerie folklore of witches’ brooms—fungus-sparked tangles in silver birch. Packed with tales of zygodactyl toes, pseudo pollination, and the relentless rhythm of June’s renewal, this episode is a joyful ode to the countryside’s unseen performers.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/17248014-episode-2-22-woodpeckers-and-witches-brooms-summer-s-secret-symphony.mp3?download=true

Support the show

Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
Chris@highashfarm.com

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
https://donorbox.org/podcast-12
or from the Podcast page here:
Podcast | High Ash Farm

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Bask in the sunlit splendour of High Ash Farm’s wildflower meadows, where Chris Skinner guides us through a vibrant tapestry of nature’s small wonders. Marvel at the common blue butterflies, their Wedgwood-hued wings dancing over bird’s foot trefoil, a legume bursting into bright yellow bloom. Amid the meadow, yellow rattle thrives, subtly parasitizing grasses to foster a haven for declining insect species. Discover the rare shepherd’s purse and shepherd’s needle, crucifers with delicate, cross-shaped white flowers, their names echoing ancient sheepherding traditions and medieval practices of stitching lambskins to nurture orphaned young. By the farm’s tranquil lake, witness tadpoles in metamorphosis, their tiny hind legs sprouting as they edge toward froghood, while the scarce water soldier’s white blooms drift serenely, carried by the breeze. From drought-stressed fields to the resilience of Norfolk’s biodiversity, this episode celebrates the intricate connections of flora and fauna in a rapidly changing season. Join us for a heartfelt journey through the countryside, plus answers to your wildlife questions!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/17202769-episode-2-21-shepherd-s-purse-soldier-s-float.mp3?download=true

Support the show

Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
Chris@highashfarm.com

This podcast is brought to you by High Ash Farm. To support our efforts in creating this content, please consider making a small monthly or one-off donation. Your contributions help us with production costs, and after expenses, every penny goes towards conservation and maintaining free public access at High Ash Farm.
Support us here:
https://donorbox.org/podcast-12
or from the Podcast page here:
Podcast | High Ash Farm