On today’s show, we are by the Blackwater on the trail of the elusive turtle dove, an exotic looking bird with a cat-like purr, sadly threatened with extinction. Can you help us find where they are hiding in Essex? We will also be delving into the fascinating folklore behind some of our best loved native plant species and wildflowers. How did their strange nicknames come about and why did people believe picking bluebells would have dire consequences for their children? Finally, we have a quick update about our BioBlitz campaign – where people all across the county are rising to the challenge of becoming the ultimate citizen scientist!

Thank you to Stuart Brooker for the wonderful birdsong recording heard in the background of our 'What 3 Birds' feature.

Links:

Seen or heard a turtle dove? contact: communications@essexwt.org.uk and mark.nowers@rspb.org.uk with the date, location, time and if possible, a photo. See www.operationturtledove.org for further details

For more information on Essex BioBlitz: https://www.essexwt.org.uk/essex-bioblitz-2022

To tune into our barn owl webcam and other webcams: https://www.essexwt.org.uk/wildlife/webcams