Low-Carbon Birding and No Binoculars with Sara Humphrey

This week Chris sits down with Sara Humphrey, aka Sussex Sara, a wildlife photographer, low-carbon birder, and one of the most distinctive voices in UK birdwatching right now. Sara doesn't drive. Every birding trip she takes, from the Cairngorms to the Lake District, is done by train, bus, or on foot, which means her whole approach to finding wildlife has had to become far more strategic than most birders ever need it to be. Sara and Chris talk through what low-carbon birding actually looks like day to day, her mission to see and photograph some of Britain's hardest and most threatened species: turtle doves, ring ouzels, nightingales and why she doesn't carry binoculars at all. It's a conversation about patience, close observation, and choosing depth over ticking boxes. Episode Takeaways: Life Without a Car: The Low-Carbon Birding Rule: Sara's approach to reducing her footprint without making the hobby unmanageable. Trains, buses, and long walks by default, with the occasional taxi when safety calls for it. What Turtle Doves Actually Need to Recover: Shallow water, the right seed in field margins, and thick hedgerow nesting habitat plus why logging sightings via BirdTrack for Operation Turtle Dove matters. Why Sara Never Carries Binoculars: As a photographer first, she found swapping between binoculars and camera cost her the shot every time, so she trained herself to read movement, body language, and calls instead. Letting the Animal Lead the Shot: Sara doesn't plan a composition and wait for wildlife to walk into it, she watches behaviour first and lets the animal dictate the photo. Episode Timestamps: 03:45 - Low Carbon Birding 07:53 - Planning Car Free Trips 12:54 - Why Turtle Doves Declined 18:05 - Ring Ouzels And Hides 20:23 - No Binocular Birding 23:45 - Learning Calls And Nightingales 26:58 - Territory And Displays 30:35 - Behaviour Led Photography 34:35 - Wild Boar Close Call 36:05 - Terns And Flybys Important Links & Resources: Follow My Birding Life on Instagram Subscribe to My Birding Life on YouTube Follow Sara on Instagram