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My Birding Life · Wednesday · 38 min

How the Wildest Ones are Living Life with Simon Owen

Simon Owen is a Manchester-based filmmaker and photographer, the founder of Standby Productions, and the creative force behind Wildest Ones, a YouTube series that interviews people whose lives have been shaped by wildlife and the natural world. In this episode, Simon talks Chris through a childhood spent on RSPB stopovers with his dad, a detour through skateboard filmmaking that quietly taught him the patience wildlife photography demands, and the string of hard years, a business hit hard by COVID, a breakup, that sent him back outdoors and, eventually, into making Wildest Ones. The conversation covers the three-chapter structure behind every Wildest Ones episode, the moments that have caught Simon off guard while filming other people's stories, turning half an acre of garden into a nesting site for goldfinches and great tits, keeping a balcony bird list in the middle of Manchester, and how a business decision to give back during COVID turned into becoming Lancashire Wildlife Trust's first-ever ambassador. Episode Takeaways: Why Wildest Ones Exists: The series is built around three chapters for every guest: connection to the wild, mental wellbeing, and conservation, and it's deliberately open to anyone with that connection, not just birders. A Masterclass in a Hide From a Stranger: While struggling to find a little stint at Abberton Reservoir, Simon was helped by a birder in his 70s who found the bird in five minutes and stayed to chat for an hour, one of many reminders, Simon says, that he's never met an unfriendly birder. Building a Darden for Goldfinches: After moving to a half-acre plot eight years ago and noticing an odd lack of birdsong, Simon and his family deliberately built up feeders, boxes, and water, finally getting goldfinches to nest three years in, with great tits and great spotted woodpeckers nesting there for the first time this year. From Peatland Film to First-Ever Ambassador: A post-COVID decision to give back through Standby Productions led to a Save the Peatlands film for Lancashire Wildlife Trust that helped shift compost retail legislation, and two years later Simon became the Trust's first ambassador. Episode Timestamps: 02:21 - Photography Style Origins 03:22 - Childhood Birding Roots 09:38 - Wildest Ones 18:04 - Birding Passion and Raptors 20:26 - Garden Birds and Feeders 22:13 - Balcony Bird List 24:27 - What Makes a Great Outing 24:44 - Chasing the Perfect Shot 26:42 - Surprise Wildlife Encounters 28:40 - Wildlife Trust Ambassador 35:03 - Birding With the Kids Important Links & Resources: Follow My Birding Life on Instagram Subscribe to My Birding Life on YouTube Follow Simon on Instagram

0:00-38:42
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Simon Owen is a Manchester-based filmmaker and photographer, the founder of Standby Productions, and the creative force behind Wildest Ones, a YouTube series that interviews people whose lives have been shaped by wildlife and the natural world. In this episode, Simon talks Chris through a childhood spent on RSPB stopovers with his dad, a detour through skateboard filmmaking that quietly taught him the patience wildlife photography demands, and the string of hard years, a business hit hard by COVID, a breakup, that sent him back outdoors and, eventually, into making Wildest Ones.

The conversation covers the three-chapter structure behind every Wildest Ones episode, the moments that have caught Simon off guard while filming other people's stories, turning half an acre of garden into a nesting site for goldfinches and great tits, keeping a balcony bird list in the middle of Manchester, and how a business decision to give back during COVID turned into becoming Lancashire Wildlife Trust's first-ever ambassador.

Episode Takeaways:

  • Why Wildest Ones Exists: The series is built around three chapters for every guest: connection to the wild, mental wellbeing, and conservation, and it's deliberately open to anyone with that connection, not just birders.
  • A Masterclass in a Hide From a Stranger: While struggling to find a little stint at Abberton Reservoir, Simon was helped by a birder in his 70s who found the bird in five minutes and stayed to chat for an hour, one of many reminders, Simon says, that he's never met an unfriendly birder.
  • Building a Darden for Goldfinches: After moving to a half-acre plot eight years ago and noticing an odd lack of birdsong, Simon and his family deliberately built up feeders, boxes, and water, finally getting goldfinches to nest three years in, with great tits and great spotted woodpeckers nesting there for the first time this year.
  • From Peatland Film to First-Ever Ambassador: A post-COVID decision to give back through Standby Productions led to a Save the Peatlands film for Lancashire Wildlife Trust that helped shift compost retail legislation, and two years later Simon became the Trust's first ambassador.

Episode Timestamps:

  • 02:21 - Photography Style Origins
  • 03:22 - Childhood Birding Roots
  • 09:38 - Wildest Ones
  • 18:04 - Birding Passion and Raptors
  • 20:26 - Garden Birds and Feeders
  • 22:13 - Balcony Bird List
  • 24:27 - What Makes a Great Outing
  • 24:44 - Chasing the Perfect Shot
  • 26:42 - Surprise Wildlife Encounters
  • 28:40 - Wildlife Trust Ambassador
  • 35:03 - Birding With the Kids

Important Links & Resources:


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