Episode 46: Underneath The Spreading Chestnut Tree

Chris Skinner captures the sound of the farm's most recognisable wake up call before introducing us to two young nearby buzzards.Matthew Gudgin joins Chris as they watch the buzzards glide in the air and Chris explains how to distinguish the difference between various birds of prey.Armed with a tape measure, the pair head to the woods to measure the age of one of the oldest trees growing at High Ash Farm. Chris then takes the time to show Matthew the two types of balsam currently in flower; the uncommon Small Balsam and the unpopular Himalayan Balsam. Lots of subjects are covered in listener questions including the lack of pollinators this year, hedgehogs care, medicinal leeches and hay baling string.Click here to download the MP3 file of this episode.Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcast was produced by SOUNDYARD - a non-profit company on a mission to turn up the volume on under-heard voices. Join the SOUNDYARD newsletter