The Casual Birder Podcast

Suzy is joined by her husband John to review their birding experiences from February 2026.
From trying to spot a Snow Goose amongst a flock of Whooper Swans (in a blizzard!) to seeing Spoonbills and Slavonian Grebes on a cold rainy day, their experiences highlight the realities of birding in February in southern England.
Despite the weather, their report of their favourite sightings and the friendly birders they met provides an engaging listen.
So grab a cuppa, and enjoy their birding tales.
Chapters
00:00:36 Introduction 
00:02:07 Abberton Reservoir
00:13:46 John solo birding 1
00:15:07 Deeping Lakes
00:21:23 Nene Washes
00:29:38 Snow Goose search
00:31:37 Willow Tree Fen
00:33:49 Grafham Water
00:36:03 New Forest
00:37:30 Normandy Lagoon, Lymington
00:44:26 John solo birding 2
00:47:11 Final species for February
00:48:57 Join our community
Links
Alex  (photographer) - we met at Deeping Lakes Instagram link
 
Casual Birder Community
Away from the noise of other social media platforms, our community is a supportive and encouraging space for sharing your birding stories and connecting with others.
Start your free trial here  Casual Birder Community
Your bird stories
Tell me about your bird stories - contact me
Support the show
If you would like to help support the show's production, by buying a virtual coffee here 
Keep in the Loop
Sign up here for email notifications of news, blogs and episodes
 
The Casual Birder Podcast   https://casualbirder.com/
Don't miss an episode - follow the show!
Credits
My thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show and to The Drones for the theme music Short Sleeved Shirt. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

Suzy speaks with Mary Colwell, founder of Curlew Action, who describes her fascination with Curlews, and the need for urgent conservation to reverse their population decline in the UK.
Advocating an approach that engages with policymakers, farmers, and field workers, Mary emphasizes the need for landscape management and public engagement to support Curlew conservation.
This interview was recorded in front of an audience at Global BirdFair.
Thanks to Curlew Action for the beautiful Curlew recording used in this episode, to Charlie Bingham for scheduling and organisational help at Global BirdFair and to Oscar Henderson for recording and producing the shows.
Links
Curlew Action
Global BirdFair
 
Casual Birder Community
Away from the noise of other social media platforms, our community is a supportive and encouraging space for sharing your birding stories and connecting with others.
Start your free trial here  Casual Birder Community
Your bird stories
Tell me about your bird stories - contact me
Support the show
If you would like to help support the show's production, by buying a virtual coffee here 
Keep in the Loop
Sign up here for email notifications of news, blogs and episodes
The Casual Birder Podcast   https://casualbirder.com/
Don't miss an episode - follow the show!
Credits
My thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show and to The Drones for the theme music Short Sleeved Shirt. Check out their website

Suzy is joined by her husband John to review their birding experiences from January 2026, covering winter birding in Norfolk, and coastal birding in Hampshire, UK.
They each saw over 100 bird species including two lifers (birds they had never seen before): a Taiga Bean Goose and a Killdeer.
See the list of the birds that Suzy saw, along with some photos, here
 
Casual Birder Community
Away from the noise of other social media platforms, our community is a supportive and encouraging space for sharing your birding stories and connecting with others.
Start your free trial here  Casual Birder Community
Your bird stories
Tell me about your bird stories - contact me on the casualbirder.com website
Support the show
If you would like to help support the show's production, by buying a virtual coffee here 
Keep in the Loop
Sign up here for email notifications of news, blogs and episodes
 
The Casual Birder Podcast   https://casualbirder.com/
Don't miss an episode - follow the show!
My thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show and to The Drones for the theme music Short Sleeved Shirt. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

Dale Forbes shares his passion for nature, how he is inspired by soundscapes, and his fascination with how habitats define the birds found there. He also tells us how he would spend his fantasy birding day.
 
Dale is the Head of Marketing Strategy & Insight at Swarovski Optik, is a member of BirdLife International's Advisory Board, and is the regional coordinator for eBird in Austria.
 
The interview was recorded at Global Birdfair.
 
Links
Dale's recordings on soundcloud https://m.soundcloud.com/capepolly
Dale's book: Habitats of Europe: A Field Guide for Birders, Naturalists, and Ecologists.
More about Swarovski and its wildlife interests https://www.swarovskioptik.com/int/en/birding/about-us/sustainability-at-swarovski-optik/nature-and-species-conservation
 
Casual Birder Community
Start your free trial here Casual Birder Community
 
The Casual Birder Bird Club
The Casual Birder Bird Club is an online bird club that meets every month. 
If meeting up with a group of friendly people from around the world to talk about the birds you've seen sounds like something you'd like to do, you'd be very welcome to join us.
Find out more here: The Casual Birder Bird Club
 
Your bird stories
Tell me about your bird stories - contact me on the casualbirder.com website
 
Support the show
If you would like to help support the show's production, buy a virtual coffee here 
 
Keep in the Loop
Sign up here for email notifications of news, blogs and episodes
 
The Casual Birder Podcast   https://casualbirder.com/
Don't miss an episode - follow the show!
My thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show and to The Drones for the theme music Short Sleeved Shirt. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net

Join me as I recount my recent birding adventure in Wiltshire and Hampshire.
From impressive Great Bustards to the elusive Common Quail and the unexpected Grey Partridges, our weekend was filled with unforgettable moments.
We share the excitement, challenges, and pure joy of birding in the beautiful landscapes of Wiltshire and Hampshire.
Links
Great Bustard Group: https://greatbustard.org/
Langford Lakes: Information sheet
Martin Down: https://www.hants.gov.uk/thingstodo/countryside/finder/martindown
Blashford Lakes: https://www.hiwwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/blashford-lakes-nature-reserve
Graham Snelgar: Instagram page
eBird trip report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/404742
 
The Casual Birder Bird Club
The Casual Birder Bird Club is an online bird club that meets every month. 
If meeting up with a group of friendly people from around the world to talk about the birds you've seen sounds like something you'd like to do, you'd be very welcome to join us.
Find out more here: The Casual Birder Bird Club
 
Casual Birder Community
Away from the noise of other social media platforms, our community is a supportive and encouraging space for sharing your birding stories and connecting with others.
Start your free trial here Casual Birder Community
 
Your bird stories
Tell me about your bird stories - contact me on the casualbirder.com website
 
Support the show
If you would like to help support the show's production, by buying a virtual coffee here 
 
Keep in the Loop
Sign up here for email notifications of news, blogs and episodes
 
The Casual Birder Podcast   https://casualbirder.com/
Don't miss an episode - follow the show!
My thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show and to The Drones for the theme music Short Sleeved Shirt. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net