Spring is on the way!
I was delighted this week to not only hear a Robin and Song Thrush singing in the early mornings, but also to catch sight of a Magpie tearing a small twig from a tree and flying off with it - a sure sign that nest building is underway!
Bird of the Week
The Eurasian Sparrowhawk (known as just ‘Sparrowhawk’ in the UK) is a medium-sized bird of prey resident in much of the UK and western Europe. They are adapted for hunting smaller birds using an ambush-style of capture, such as using low hedges as cover, diving over at the last minute to catch an unsuspecting bird.
My Birding this week
My desire to release a podcast episode this week meant I was unable to go out birding, but I did take some time to watch my garden birds at various moments. The garden has been strangely quiet in recent weeks. My garden lies in a strip of mostly unfriendly-to-nature gardens, whereas mine provides more shrubs, water dishes and food. Luckily two of the small trees are starting to be of a size that is attractive to perch in. I am considering what changes I can make to encourage more bird species to visit.
While Woodpigeons have been the most consistent visitors, I have been pleased this week to welcome several Rooks, hear a Wren, and see a Dunnock and two Blue Tits feeding.
Latest podcast episode
Birding Diary - January 2025
Suzy reviews her birding experiences from January 2025, starting with the final week of an epic vacation to Australia!
Back in the UK Suzy joined a local RSPB outing and went to the New Forest with the Ladybirder sub-group of the Hampshire Ornithlogical Society (HOS).
While in the New Forest Suzy spoke with HOS Chair Keith Betton about his early birding experiences and the success of HOS initiatives to increase the engagement of young people and women birders in the group.
Recommendations and shout outs!
I want to give shout outs to two of my podcasting buddies, who have each recently celebrated the awesome achievement of releasing the 100th episode of their podcasts.
Hannah hosts Women Birders Happy Hour, a wonderful show where she interviews women birders from around the world. I highly recommend it, so do go and check it out!
Kirsty produces the Weekend Birder podcast which looks at various Australian species. Recent episodes have covered birding slang and wildfire recovery programs. I really enjoy listening to her show, and have learned so much.
I was recently a guest on Podcast Junkies, hosted by Harry Duran. I talk candidly about the challenges of time management for maintaining consistency with the podcast while also spending weekends birding. Take a listen!
The Casual Birder Podcast Community
Our Circle community brings together listeners of The Casual Birder Podcast in a new space away from the noise of other social media and can be accessed via a website or on the dedicated app.
Membership benefits include:
a thriving community of friendly, supportive and enthusiastic birders
the opportunity to attend live podcast interviews (and contribute questions for the guest)
priority access for birding days with Suzy
access to the Casual Birder Bird Club
Our community will be accepting new members in late February.
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Until next week, happy birding!
