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
107. Searching for a very rare butterfly in Rockingham Forest [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:53
Extinct in England, the chequered skipper has been reintroduced to a secret site in Rockingham Forest in Northamptonshire by the Back from the Brink project The plodcast's Megan Shersby tells this heartening story and ex…
Sound Escape 19: The hum of busy bumble bees [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:17
Welcome to Sound Escapes from BBC Countryfile Magazine – your chance to relax to soundtracks of glorious nature wherever you are and whatever you are doing. In this episode, take a break in the shade at the bottom of the…
105. Discover the mysterious lives of cuckoos in a Cambridgeshire fen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:26
In this episode, Megan Shersby heads to the East of England to one of Britain's oldest nature reserves, the wetland wonder of Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire. Here she meets Professor Nick Davies of Cambridge University, an…
104. Explore the Dorset heaths in search of Britain's rarest reptile [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:08
Meet the spring wildlife of one of Britain's rarest habitats – lowland heaths. Roam the heath-clad landscape in search of rare reptiles including the elusive smooth snake in the company of Owain Masters and Nick Dobbs fr…