One of the UK's rarest spiders is coming back from the brink of extinction thanks to a brilliant conservation effort. Large, scarce, and undeniably striking, the fen raft spider is one of only three British spider species on the Red List and vulnerable to extinction. But there is good news! A dedicated collaboration of organisations has been working hard to restore our valuable fen habitats and the raft spiders that rely so heavily on them, and the results are promising. So, grab a coffee, sit back, and join us as we explore the incredible world of the fen raft spider. We uncover fascinating facts about their water-based lifestyle, from running across the surface to diving beneath it, and take a closer look at the conservation success story that’s giving these spiders a fighting chance for survival. Get in touch! Don't forget to follow The Birdy Bug Pod over on Instagram. And please do feel free to contact us with any questions, feedback, comments, or just to say hi! Follow us @thebirdybugpod Timestamps: 00:00:00 Intro & catchup 00:07:02 All about raft spiders 00:23:38 Habitat decline & the importance of fens 00:31:47 Conservation & good news 00:45:48 Wrap up Links: https://www.dolomedes.org.uk/biology/life_history https://www.buglife.org.uk/bugs/bug-directory/fen-raft-spider/ https://www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/blog/suffolk-wildlife-trust/10-facts-about-fen-raft-spiders#:~:text=Fen raft https://www.britishwildlife.com/article/article-volume-32-number-2-page-98-109/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320700000306 https://www.wwt.org.uk/discover-wetlands/wetlands/fens/ Raft spiders (britishspiders.org.uk)
Our humble hedgerows. They may seem ordinary and easy to overlook as they border our gardens and fields and crisscross our landscape, but they are in fact one of our most vital habitats. Yet sadly, our hedges have seen a decline in both abundance and health. In this episode, we uncover the incredible benefits of healthy hedgerows—from providing shelter to countless species to boosting farm productivity and even combating climate change. So, grab a drink, get comfortable, and join us as we delve into the fascinating world of hedgerows. We explore their importance, cultural significance, how we have lost so many of them, and what can be done to restore our hedges to the benefit of our communities and nature. Get in touch! Don't forget to follow The Birdy Bug Pod over on Instagram. And please do feel free to contact us with any questions, feedback, comments, or just to say hi! Follow us @thebirdybugpod Links: https://www.cpre.org.uk/discover/hedgerow-wildlife-to-hear-and-see/ https://ptes.org/hedgerow/hedgerow-wildlife/ https://www.gwct.org.uk/blogs/news/2024/may/new-hedgerow-regulations-what-you-need-to-know/ https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/habitats/hedgerows/ https://hedgelink.org.uk/ How to manage a hedgerow for wildlife | The Wildlife Trusts https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/news/hedgerow-protections-reinstated-in-england https://hedgerowsurvey.ptes.org/the-great-british-hedgerow-survey
Inspired by the phenomenal performances of Olympic athletes, we turned our attention to the incredible athletic abilities found in the animal kingdom. Join us in this special episode as we assemble our ultimate Olympic Team GB—featuring some of the UK's most impressive wildlife! In classic Birdy Bug Pod style, Steve brings his A-game with a lineup of formidable birds, while Matthew’s picks might be small, but they pack a mighty punch with his team of impressive bugs. And of course, we've added a few wildcards into the mix to keep things interesting. Our contenders are ready to compete in a range of Olympic events: from diving and swimming to wrestling, boxing, and even the rowing. As we build our team, we delve into the mind-blowing abilities of UK wildlife—like a tiny insect that overcomes more G-force than an astronaut and diving birds that could give Tom Daley a run for his money. We had a great time recording this relaxed and slightly different episode, and we hope you enjoy it just as much! Who would make the cut for your Olympic wildlife team? Help us fill the gaps in our Team GB—what medal-contending species did we miss? Or go a step further and build your own national Olympic wildlife team with the animals native to your country. We'd love to see what you come up with! Head over to our Instagram (@thebirdybugpod) and leave a comment on the episode post or ping us a message. Get in touch! Speaking of Instagram, the podcast now has its very own account! The perfect place to contact us with any feedback, comments, questions, or just to say hi. And of course, to let us know all about your wildlife Olympic team! Follow us @thebirdybugpod Get all the latest episode news, behind the scenes content, opportunities to engage with the podcast and much more. Links: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/highest-jump-by-an-insect/ https://www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/news/faster-speed-sight https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240108125719.htm
Rivers form the backbone of the landscape, act as the world's arteries, and also support an incredible wealth of wildlife, which is what we are exploring this episode. So, grab a coffee and join us for a positive chat about the wonderful animals that rely on our rivers. Staying true to our name, Steve is highlighting some of the fantastic bird life that he sees and photographs when out and about around rivers whilst Matthew gives the invertebrates some love with a focus on the fascinating lives of freshwater pearl mussels. Our rivers are facing a variety of issues which we will certainly cover in a future episode. But this time, we just fancied having lighter, positive chat about our remarkable rivers and the nature they support. We also cover some general river facts and there's a quiz or two. Get in touch: As always, please do contact us with any questions, feedback, comments, or just to say hi! You can find us both on Instagram: Steve - @a.bird.in.the.lens Matthew - @a.bug.in.the.lens Timestamps 00:00:00 Very quick catch up 00:00:58 Introducing rivers 00:14:58 River appreciating birds 00:22:44 River-y invertebrates 00:43:44 River restoration 00:52:05 Wrap up Links Why rivers are important for everything from biodiversity to wellbeing | New Scientist Chalk streams, explained - Thames21 Riverfly Partnership — Freshwater Biological Association (fba.org.uk) State of our Rivers Report 2024 | The Rivers Trust Impact Report 2023/24 | The Rivers Trust Freshwater pearl mussel | NatureScot About us — The Riverfly Partnership (riverflies.org)
From silhouetted soaring buzzards to the powerful elegance of an osprey snatching a fish from a lake, birds of prey are incredible animals that have entranced us for centuries. Unfortunately, however, this has not prevented them from being persecuted. This episode we are tackling a slightly more serious and somber topic but one that we believe definitely needs talking about and is certainly close to our hearts. So, grab a coffee and join us as we look at how our magnificent birds of prey have been persecuted, both throughout history and its continued prevalence today. But it's not all doom and gloom, we also delve into the tricky world of defining exactly what a 'bird of prey' really is, our historical relationship with these birds, and we of course, highlight the fantastic organisations working tirelessly to protect and restore our bird of prey populations. Steve even throws a surprise quiz in there to test Matthew's knowledge of our UK species. This is a topic that we are both passionate about and despite the heavier nature of the research, we really enjoyed recording this episode. We hope you enjoy listening. Get in touch: As always, please do contact us with any questions, feedback, comments, or just to say hi! You can find us both on Instagram: Steve - @a.bird.in.the.lens Matthew - @a.bug.in.the.lens Timestamps 00:00:00 Catch up 00:0153 Introducing Birds of Prey 00:20:27 A history of persecution 00:24:06 How they are persecuted today 00:40:19 The positives: changing perceptions and brilliant organisations Links https://protectthewild.org.uk/our-campaigns/end-shooting/bird-shooting-faqs/what-raptor-persecution/ Why the illegal killings of birds of prey is surging in the UK | The Independent Birds of prey and the Law - Protect the Wild Goshawks back from the brink in southern England | Forestry England RSPB Hen Harrier LIFE Report - Skydancer - the UK's hen harriers - Skydancer - The RSPB Community Game Bird Shooting | The League About Wild Justice - Wild Justice