344. A thrilling night-time quest to experience the great spring toad migration

344. A thrilling night-time quest to experience the great spring toad migration

Author: Our Media March 31, 2026 Duration: 53:26
It's night in the woods deep in the Cotswold Hills. Plodcast host Fergus joins friend and environmental writer James Fair to see if they can witness the great spring toad migration, where toads leave their winter hideouts and head across land in huge numbers to find a pond or lake to breed in. Have the daring duo left it too late? What will they find on this nocturnal ramble?Our Facebook page is back! Search "BBC Countryfile Magazine - Plodcast Community" or join the discussion here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/countryfilemagazineplodcast/?ref=shareThe BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 & 2025 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: theplodcast@countryfile.com. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Each week, The Plodcast offers a gentle, immersive journey into the landscapes and stories of rural Britain. Produced by Our Media, this series is more than just a guide; it’s a thoughtful audio companion that connects the science of natural phenomena with the deep cultural roots found in villages, coastlines, and rolling hills. You’ll hear from naturalists, historians, farmers, and artists whose lives are intertwined with the land, providing a rich tapestry of perspectives on place and society. The weekly episodes, released every Tuesday, delve into specific topics, from wildlife biology and conservation efforts to the social history embedded in ancient footpaths. Then, on Fridays, the pace shifts to a reflective Sound Escape-a chance to simply listen and unwind with the ambient noises of the outdoors. This podcast serves as a regular invitation to slow down and appreciate the complexities and simple wonders of the countryside, all through carefully crafted audio. It’s a blend of curious inquiry and peaceful respite, designed for anyone with an interest in travel, nature, and the quieter aspects of British life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 644

The Plodcast
Podcast Episodes
Sound Escape 207. Be mesmerised the sound of thawing snow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:57
After three days of snow and deep cold, a westerly weather front has swept in – a warm breath to thaw the frozen landscape. You stop outdoors among chirruping redwings, transfixed by the steady drip of meltwater and fall…
Sound Escape 206. Experience a landscape transformed by snow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:40
It's not quite a white Christmas but early in the New Year, the land is transformed by a thick layer of snow. You can't resist the joyful urge to be the first to make footprints across the sheep fields. Ahead, smoke rise…
283. What lives in the wilds of Lancashire's Forest of Bowland? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:17
Writer, angler and Plodcast regular Kevin Parr is your host this week, exploring the wild of the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire. Kev is on a quest for material for a mysterious new book and the object of his mission in…
Sound Escape 205. A winter morning's walk through fields of frost [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:51
Overnight, temperatures fell sharply and you awake to fields made ghostly pale by frost. You put on your boots and shake off the cold with a tramp through the sheep fields accompanied by crows, redwings, ravens and, best…
282. Join the Plodcast team for a Big Garden Birdwatch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:08
As the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch approaches (24-26 January 2025), the Plodcast team of Fergus, Hannah, Jack and Lewis explore what birds are visiting their own very different patches. Check in to hear their tales and l…
Sound Escape 203. Listen to the tides wash over the Gower shore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:20
We're on the south coast of Gower. You’re using a rocky outcrop as a perch to watch the tide come in. The scene is a wash of grey and the sunshine is as watery as the sea. BBC Countryfile Magazine's Sound Escapes are a w…