The Club's very own podcast- 'Some Ornithological Chat'! Each month we'll be talking to a different guest and blending conversations on topical issues and lighter chats about birds and birding. There will also be hints and tips on identifying birds through their songs and calls.
Episodes:
Season 1, Episode 8: Some Ornithological Chat with Mike Thornton and Andrew Matthews
Mark talks to Mike and Andrew about the Lothian Mentoring scheme, which gave less experienced birders based at Edinburgh universities opportunities to spend time in the field with, and learn from more experienced birders. We talk about why learning is so important to both individuals and SOC branches/bird clubs. Andrew fails to get the power of flight into Room 101, and Mike reminisces on good times on the Farne islands, and slightly less good times in Abernethy Forest.
Season 1, Episode 7: Some Ornithological Chat with Amy Challis and Andrew Stevenson
Mark talks to Amy Challis and Andrew Stevenson about the Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme, which has been keeping tabs on Scotland’s Raptors for the last 20 years. To celebrate their 20th Birthday, SRMS released their first population trends for Scotland’s raptors via both a report and a brilliant interactive web tool. Also, Amy tells us how she feels about Birds of Paradise and Andrew tells us about his Hebridean birding dream (a Willet) and his Hebridean birding reality (a Snowy Owl/white bucket).
Season 1, Episode 6: Some Ornithological Chat with Ryan Irvine
We're joined by Ryan Irvine, who tells about patch birding, Patchwork Challenge @PatchBirding as well as tales of gloomy thrushes, and much more...
Season 1, Episode 5: Some Ornithological Chat with Will Miles
Will Miles tells us about two books he's had the pleasure of working on recently. We also discuss how he mistook quite a small bird for a very large one, and how he'd use his time machine to make a phonecall to Andy Clements of the BTO...
Season 1, Episode 4: Rarities with Paul French
This month has seen the publication of the BBRC rarities report in British Birds. In this podcast we talk to Paul French about rarity assessment, Eleanora's falcons, and 'just going birding'.
Season 1, Episode 3: BirdTrack with Scott Mayson
In this episode, Mark talks to Scott Mayson of the BTO about BirdTrack (the online bird recording platform of which SOC is a partner) and in particular, the new BirdTrack app. Scott also gives us the nicest Time Machine answer we could hope for and describes creeping up on a bottle which he thought was a Collared Flycatcher...
Season 1, Episode 2: Breeding Bird Survey with Sarah Harris
This time Sarah Harris talks about all things 'BBS' (Breeding Bird Survey), why Hobbys are better than Swifts, and going to Cornwall by mistake...
Season 1, Episode 1: Some Ornithological chat with David Steel
On this podcast we talk to David Steel. David works with seabirds on the Isle of May and as such is well placed to talk about the spread of Avian Influenza through our seabird colonies, which species we should be most concerned about, and why we might remain hopeful. After this, David tells us where (or when!) he'd go if he had one go in a time machine, shares some of the best birding advice he's been given, and toys with the idea of putting Northumberland seawatchers into a birding room 101.
