Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcasts
Nature, Wildlife and Countryside Living with Chris Skinner from High Ash Farm
Chris Skinner, a Norfolk farmer, takes a unique approach to farming, prioritizing biodiversity and wildlife conservation in every practice.
Tune in every Sunday morning as Chris, alongside broadcaster Matthew Gudgin, explores topics on nature, wildlife, and rural life.
Join them for strolls through High Ash Farm and beyond, spotting wildlife and addressing your queries about the natural world.
Email questions for Chris to answer to Chris@highashfarm.com
Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcasts
Episode 2.71 - Aphid Aerial Plankton and Blossoming Hawthorns
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On a chilly, grey early-May morning with a brisk northerly wind and five weeks of drought at High Ash Farm, Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin explore the effects of the dry spell. Skylarks hover and sing over parched grass fields, while swallows sweep low hunting for insects. In Fox’s Grove, they examine sycamore leaves glistening with honeydew from vast colonies of green aphids — prolific breeders that provide vital “aerial plankton” for summer migrants.
Chris then admires one of the farm’s magnificent old hawthorns (May) in full luminous blossom beside an ancient quarry. He shares its long history as a hedging plant, its sharp spines, distinctive scent, pollination needs, and clever seed dispersal by birds.
Listener letters bring warmth from across the UK and beyond: a magical close encounter with a female hare searching for leverets, phacelia identification, first swifts and house martins, lapwings, goldcrests, glyphosate questions, and more.
This episode captures the resilient beauty of a dry early summer — from skylarks and aphids to shimmering May blossom — ideal for appreciating nature’s ingenuity even when the weather refuses to cooperate.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/19151554-episode-2-71-aphid-aerial-plankton-and-blossoming-hawthorns.mp3?download=true
Please email any questions for Chris to answer on the podcast to
Chris@highashfarm.com
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