Get Birding

Early Birders

Sean Bean’s love of birding began when he was a lad growing up on an estate in Sheffield. Long before he was an actor, he was a boy fascinated by books on dinosaurs and Sunday nights watching The World About Us with his Dad. From discussing the magic of the iconic film Kes to debunking myths about helping fledglings, this episode explores how a childhood connection to nature stays with you for a lifetime. Sean is joined by a flock of guests who discovered their passion at a young age: TV and Radio Presenter, Johnny Vaughn, Wildlife Biologist and Broadcaster, Dan O’Neil, Ornithologist and Environmentalist Dr Mya-Rose Craig, ​​12 year old, artist, naturalist and member of the Youth Council, Benji Fallow and our resident beatboxer and nature sound artist Jason Singh,Produced by Hana Walker-Brown. The Executive Producer is Jane Gerber.This is a Get Birding Production. The podcast is made in collaboration with Forest Holidays, which encourages birdwatching as part of their guests’ stays, with nature sensitive cabins available in 13 incredible locations across the UK. Use the code GETBIRDING26 when booking, for £40 off a 3-night break or £60 off a 4 or 7 night break. The code expires on 30 June 2026 and is for breaks bookable until 1 October 2026.To find out more, visit www.forestholidays.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Changing Skies

As spring arrives, the skies begin to shift. Birds are on the move—and their journeys tell us what’s changing around us.To take a closer look (and listen) Sean is joined in his garden by artist, comedian and keen birder, Jim Moir and ornithologist and environmentalist Dr Mya-Rose Craig.From the return of the chiffchaff to deeper conversations around conservation, this episode explores the ties between birds, the places they pass through, and the people who care for them including our resident beatboxer and nature sound artist Jason Singh, zoologist and conservationist Megan McCubbin and nature writer Lucy Lapwing, author of Love Is a Toad.Produced by Hana Walker-Brown. The Executive Producer is Jane Gerber.This is a Get Birding Production. “Love Is A Toad: Exploring our relationship with nature” by Lucy Lapwing is available for pre-order now.The podcast is made in collaboration with Forest Holidays, which encourages birdwatching as part of their guests’ stays, with nature sensitive cabins available in 13 incredible locations across the UK. Use the code GETBIRDING26 when booking, for £40 off a 3-night break or £60 off a 4 or 7 night break. The code expires on 30 June 2026 and is for breaks bookable until 1 October 2026.To find out more, visit www.forestholidays.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Puffing Chests & Building Nests

Spring’s on the turn, and the birds are getting busy.From the surprisingly wild love life of the dunnock to bowing and puffed-up chests on city balconies — we explore what courtship really looks like in the bird world. We’ll also get practical about nestboxes — where to put them, who they’re for, and how even a balcony can help the next generation fledge. With expert advice from the RSPB, we look at the small changes that can make a real difference as breeding season begins.Sean will be joined by ornithologist and environmentalist Dr Mya-Rose Craig with guests including Lucy Lapwing on her coastal patch, City Girl in Nature in South East London, comedian Toussaint Douglass making the case for our feathered city-dwelling friends, and Jason Singh on the unmistakable rhythm of the wood pigeon.Produced by Hana Walker-Brown. The Executive Producer is Jane Gerber.This is a Get Birding Production. The RSPB Guide to Nestboxes Toussaint Douglass: Accessible Pigeon Material runs from Thu 26 – Sat 28 Mar 26 at the Soho Theatre, London. “Love Is A Toad: Exploring our relationship with nature” by Lucy Lapwing is available for pre-order now.The podcast is made in collaboration with Forest Holidays, which encourages birdwatching as part of their guests’ stays, with nature sensitive cabins available in 13 incredible locations across the UK. Use the code GETBIRDING26 when booking, for £40 off a 3-night break or £60 off a 4 or 7 night break. The code expires on 30 June 2026 and is for breaks bookable until 1 October 2026.To find out more, visit www.forestholidays.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Wild Patch

Host Sean Bean swaps the perfectly pruned for the beautifully wild, discovering how ponds, hedgerows and a little untidiness can transform your garden into a haven for wildlife.Along the way he's joined by broadcast legends and keen gardeners Zoë Ball and Jo While, ornithologist and environmentalist Dr Mya-Rose Craig, and NHS doctor and RSPB President Dr Amir Khan to explore why “messy” gardens are better for birds — and for our own heads too.We head to the Forest of Dean with a Forest Holidays ranger, hear from our resident beatboxer and nature sound artist Jason Singh on the great mimics of the sky, and dig into the science behind starling murmurations with Professor Anne Goodenough and artist Steve Geliot — exploring how these vast winter gatherings can lift us through life’s hardest moments.Follow Get Birding on Instagram.This episode was produced by Hana Walker-Brown. The Executive Producer is Jane Gerber.This is a Get Birding Production. The podcast is made in collaboration with Forest Holidays, which encourages birdwatching as part of their guests’ stays, with nature sensitive cabins available in 13 incredible locations across the UK. Use the code GETBIRDING26 when booking, for £40 off a 3-night break or £60 off a 4 or 7 night break. The code expires on 30 June 2026 and is for breaks bookable until 1 October 2026.To find out more, visit www.forestholidays.co.ukAn open access publication on starling murmurations (using citizen science) by Professor Anne Goodenough is available here https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0179277 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Garden Symphony

From the distinctive whistle of the Blackbird to the drumming of a Great Spotted Woodpecker, in this episode we’re tuning into the soundscape of the natural world.Host Sean Bean is joined by an all-star chorus of birders, broadcasters, and musicians to discover how listening to birdsong doesn't just lift the soul—it physically lowers your blood pressure.With contributions from NHS doctor and RSPB President Dr Amir Khan, music broadcast legends Zoë Ball and Jo Whiley, Elbow frontman and keen birder Guy Garvey, ornithologist and environmentalist Dr Mya-Rose Craig, YouTuber City Girl in Nature, beatboxer and nature sound artist Jason Singh and folk musician, nature activist and the founder of Singing with Nightingales, Sam Lee.Follow Get Birding on Instagram. This episode was produced by Hana Walker-Brown. The Executive Producer is Jane Gerber.This is a Get Birding Production. The podcast is made in collaboration with Forest Holidays, which encourages birdwatching as part of their guests’ stays, with nature sensitive cabins available in 13 incredible locations across the UK. Use the code GETBIRDING26 when booking, for £40 off a 3-night break or £60 off a 4 or 7 night break. The code expires on 30 June 2026 and is for breaks bookable until 1 October 2026.To find out more, visit www.forestholidays.co.ukSinging With Nightingales events are hosted by nature lover and folk singer, Sam Lee. Each event is joined by a different special guest musician. The evening includes musical performances by the campfire, an ecological tour of the woods, and post-dinner tales of this majestic bird’s life, songs and folklore, culminating in the now-famous finale: a silent walk in the dark to hear our signature human-avian musical collaboration under the stars before returning to the campsite.Tickets for Singing with Nightingales are available now https://www.singingwithnightingales.co.uk/tickets Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.