Kate MacRae, better known as Wildlife Kate, is one of the best people out there at bridging the gap between birds and the rest of the world. She does it with livestreams and a network of cameras across her wet woodland in Carmarthenshire, South West Wales. Her setup has been featured on BBC Springwatch and Countryfile.

In this episode, Kate takes us from a black-and-white nest box camera hooked up to an old portable TV to a wicker basket, a handmade Clay Cavern and a Springwatch call. She also tells the story of selling up in Lichfield to chase a dream of real acreage, and what it’s like making habitat on your own.

Episode Takeaways:

• Think Like a Photographer: A livestream should look as good as it works. Kate keeps the background well away from the perches so it blurs into soft, diffuse colour, and she uses mossy props from her own land to make every shot feel like a painting.
• Experiment, Then Experiment Again: Kate’s brand started with a spare nest box camera, a wicker basket and some seed. Mistakes are part of the process, and she’s never formally trained.
• Habitat Takes Time and Hard Graft: Her three acres hold a meadow, a quarry, hazel woodland and a copse. Three years in she has built ponds, owl boxes and a hide from an old caravan, learning skills from other people along the way.
• Share the Joy: Kate wants to get people who don’t normally watch birds watching birds. Her grandchildren and a new generation of young birders keep her optimistic.

Episode Timestamps:

• 04:54 - Early Birding Roots
• 06:45 - Birding as a Lifelong Habit
• 10:25 - How the Cameras Began
• 11:31 - Nest Box Tech Breakthrough
• 14:49 - Clay Cavern and Springwatch
• 18:58 - Perfecting the Stream Look
• 23:30 - Finding Her Dream Land
• 27:50 - Nonstop Habitat Projects
• 28:45 - Managing Land Solo
• 29:45 - Life is Not a Rehearsal
• 31:55 - Finding My Tribe
• 35:58 - Next Gen Birding Boom
• 37:10 - Rapid Fire Birding Qs

Important Links & Resources:

• Follow My Birding Life on Instagram
• Subscribe to My Birding Life on YouTube
• Follow Wildlife Kate on Instagram
• Wildlife Kate's YouTube Channel