Podcast
Tweet of the Day
Hosted by BBC Radio 4 · EN
Discover birds through their songs and calls. Each Tweet of the Day begins with a call or song, followed by a story of fascinating ornithology inspired by the sound.
15episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Mike Dilger on the Whimbrel
1w ago00:01:37Tap to summarizeFor Naturalist Mike Dilger the whimbrel has just as much star power as the curlew. He likes to spot whimbrel on the Severn estuary as they migrate north on route to their breeding grounds in Scandinavia, Iceland and Russia. But to see this wader at its best, Mike recommends heading to their solitary British breeding outpost in Shetland where whimbrel combine their distinctive piping call with a bubbling flight song.Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.
Transcribe →Juliet Vickery on the Woodcock
2w ago00:01:36Tap to summarizeThe CEO of the British Trust for Ornithology, Juliet Vickery, describes an encounter with a patrolling male woodcock 30 years ago, watching it circle its territory from high in the sky. Apart from this display these waders are very hard to see, usually inhabiting dense woods and heathland, which also makes them hard to monitor. However thanks to generations of volunteer observers, we know that the distribution of breeding woodcock in the UK is sadly less than half of what it was in the 1960s. Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.
Transcribe →Isabella Tree on the Nightingale
3w ago00:01:38Tap to summarizeAuthor and conservationist Isabella Tree began inviting friends over to hear nightingales at Knepp, her home and rewilding project in West Sussex, 15 years ago. Nightingales used to be associated with coppiced woodland, but at Knepp they’re thriving in dense, thorny scrub which provides protection for their nests, which they build a foot or so above the ground. Though nightingales are still one of the UK's rarest birds, today Knepp has around 60 singing males a year – around 1% of the UK population. Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.This programme features audio recorded by Hazel Reeves at Knepp.
Transcribe →Jack Baddams on the Spotted Flycatcher
May 1000:01:37Tap to summarizeOrnithologist Jack Baddams remembers chancing upon his first spotted flycatcher nest at Creswell Crags in Derbyshire. He became hooked on them after that, and fitted the adult birds with coloured rings to see who had safely returned from Africa. Although the spotted flycatcher may not have the most interesting song, Jack was drawn to them by their behaviour, and the way they would dart out from the limestone crags to snatch an insect on the wing.Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio Bristol.
Transcribe →George McGavin on the Swift
May 300:01:36Tap to summarizeEntomologist George McGavin worked at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History for 25 years, where each year he looked forward to the return of swifts to their nest boxes.Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.
Transcribe →Liz Berry on the Kingfisher
Apr 2600:01:37Tap to summarizePoet Liz Berry has been sailing the Shropshire Union canal on a narrow boat since she was young. She describes the canal winding out of Wolverhampton into beautiful emerald green cuttings, where if you're lucky you might see a kingfisher. The canal's shallow and slowly moving waters are perfect hunting grounds. For Liz the azure and copper flash of a kingfisher darting low across the water is a magical sight.Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio Production in Bristol.
Transcribe →Roland Arnison on the Fulmar
Apr 1900:01:37Tap to summarizeExplorer and wildlife filmmaker Roland Arnison has been kayaking along Scotland's west coast on a quest to record the sounds of seabirds. Of all the many species he's encountered, it was the fulmar that really captured his heart.Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.This programme features audio recorded by Roland Arnison on the Isle of Mingulay.
Transcribe →Polly Atkin on the Grey Wagtail
Apr 1200:01:34Tap to summarizeNon-fiction writer Polly Atkin tells the story of a magical moment when a grey wagtail joined her swimming by a waterfall in a tree-lined gorge.Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.Featuring audio recorded by Jarek Matusiak from Xeno-Canto (Grey Wagtail -XC360715).
Transcribe →Jo Wimpenny on the Red Kite
Apr 500:01:30Tap to summarizeThe zoologist and writer Jo Wimpenny shares a story of a close encounter with a red kite in the Chiltern Hills, which swooped in to steal some food. This has become a more common experience in the area with the bird's population having grown by over 1,000% since the 1990s. Jo points out that although the return of a species that lives so well alongside humans won't always be welcomed, it's helpful to remember our shared past, like when hundreds of years ago red kites were valued for clearing streets of carrion and waste.Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.This programme features audio recorded by Simon Elliott from Xeno-Canto (Red Kite - XC1070598).
Transcribe →Jack Baddams on the Siskin
Mar 2900:01:36Tap to summarizeFor ornithologist and wildlife researcher for BBC's Springwatch, Jack Baddams, March is 'siskin season'. As a licenced bird ringer, he puts ID rings on wild birds so we can learn more about their lives. One of Jack's favourite bird encounters while ringing was during a bird ringing demonstration for the public. The crowd was fascinated by a female siskin with its delicate citrus green and yellow plumage, but then she became even more amazing when they discovered she was already wearing a ring of Swedish origin. Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.This programme features audio from Xeno-Canto recorded by Simon Elliott (Eurasian Siskin - XC594919).
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