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.
24episodes
Episodes
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Anita Sethi on the Dunlin
2w ago00:01:33Tap to summarizeOn a summer walk in Upper Teesdale on her way to the great Cow Green Reservoir, nature writer Anita Sethi realises she is lost. Without her map, she turns to nature for a sign of where she is, and is rewarded with the call of the dunlin.Once known as the red-backed sandpiper because of their rusty-red and black summer plumage, dunlins are small waders that nest on upland landscapes in the summer months, where peaty pools provide habitat for food. In the winter, their plumage transforms to greyish-brown and white. They can also be found on the UK's coastline and estuaries all year round. Despite their relatively small size, dunlins are capable of producing a very loud song. Anita follows the bird's low burrs and high trills and eventually finds herself at the edge of the vast reservoir, nestled between the North Pennine hills - a perfect spot for birdwatching. Presented by Anita Sethi and produced by Jo Peacey. A BBC Audio Bristol production.
Transcribe →Juliet Vickery on the Willow Warbler
3w ago00:01:35Tap to summarizeEach year, CEO of the British Trust for Ornithology, Juliet Vickery, waits eagerly to hear the beautiful song of the willow warbler, which migrates from sub–Saharan Africa. However, on her own Cambridgeshire doorstep the willow warbler is increasingly rare. The fortunes of this delicate little bird in the UK is now one of a north-south divide - increasing in the North and West, decreasing in the South and East. Thanks to a network of volunteer observers, we now know this is, at least in part, because it’s breeding less well in the south than the north, almost certainly linked to rising temperatures in southern England caused by climate change.Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio Production in Bristol.This programme features audio by David Pennington from Xeno-Canto (Willow Warbler - XC1000141).
Transcribe →George McGavin on the Hoopoe
Jul 1900:01:39Tap to summarizeEntomologist George McGavin remembers the first time he saw a hoopoe, an occasional visitor to the UK. The hoopoe is largely insectivorous, and watching it forage for crickets and grasshoppers, and probe deep into the soil for larvae, reminded George just how important insects are for the survival of the majority of birds.Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.This programme features audio by Olivier Swift from Xeno-Canto (Eurasian Hoopoe - XC697952).
Transcribe →Isabella Tree on the Turtle Dove
Jul 1200:01:37Tap to summarizeIn early summer at the Knepp Rewilding Project in West Sussex you're almost guaranteed to hear a turtle dove, one of the UK's rarest birds. Conservationist Isabella Tree writes how its gentle soothing sound tugs at the heartstrings, as today fewer than 3000 breeding pairs remain. But at Knepp, turtle doves can find areas of dense thorny thicket where they like to nest, and wildflower seeds to eat. Now every year they count 20 singing males, which is a quater of the population in Sussex.Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.This programme features audio recorded by Hazel Reeves at Knepp.
Transcribe →Liz Berry on the Rock Dove
Jul 500:01:35Tap to summarizePoet Liz Berry writes about her love for feral pigeons or rock doves, and how they rule the roost in Birmingham.Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio Production in Bristol.
Transcribe →Horatio Clare on the Grey Heron
Jun 2800:01:32Tap to summarizeThe writer Horatio Clare reflects on the many tales told about the grey heron. They were seen as birds of augury by the Romans, or with a religious bent by the poet Dylan Thomas, and for Horatio their appearance makes them seem like judges, rather aloof and out of touch. But Horatio has watched herons, and writes of their patience and spearing in catching fish, and the intensity of their concentration on every eddy of water.Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio Production in Bristol.This programme features audio from Xeno-Canto by Joost van Bruggen (XC760392 and XC947557 - Grey Heron)
Transcribe →Anita Sethi on the House Sparrow
Jun 2100:01:29Tap to summarizeAs a child growing up in Manchester, nature writer Anita Sethi used to dream of becoming a bird and flying away to the hills and moors beyond the city. Always on the lookout for signs of nature thriving in urban parks and streets, one of her favourite birds to spot was the noisy and sociable house sparrow. With greyish-brown plumage and a loud, chattering song, house sparrows aren't particularly flashy or exciting birds to many people, but they are highly resourceful and adaptable creatures and have made the city their home. Sadly, their numbers are in decline in many parts of the UK, but they still remain one of Manchester's most populous birds. Presented by Anita Sethi and produced by Jo Peacey. A BBC Audio Bristol production.
Transcribe →Isabella Tree on the Cuckoo
Jun 1400:01:37Tap to summarizeConservationist Isabella Tree tells the story of a remarkable cuckoo called Sayaan, who in April this year returned to her home and rewilding project at Knepp for the third year running. They are part of the British Trust for Ornithology’s Cuckoo Tracking Project, putting GPS trackers on cuckoos so we can learn about their migrations and help conservation. Sayaan left his overwintering grounds in the Congo in January, and crossed Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, refuelling on insects before heading off across the Sahara desert to Algeria, Ibiza and the Pyrenees. Finally he made the last 1000 km sprint to Knepp. For Isabella, the sound of every cuckoo, is the sound of triumph.This programme features recordings by Hazel Reeves recorded at Knepp, and audio from Xeno-Canto by Frode Falkenberg (Common Cuckoo - XC1139781).Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio Production in Bristol.
Transcribe →Roland Arnison on the Storm Petrel
Jun 700:01:36Tap to summarizeWe join explorer Roland Arnison on a kayaking expedition to the outer Hebrides on a quest to record the call of the storm petrel. These small and elusive seabirds spend most of their time at sea, nesting on rocky isles around the western coasts of the UK. While camping on the coastline of a remote uninhabited island, Roland patiently waited through the night until he heard the digital trill of the 'stormy' ring out in the dark.This programme features audio recorded by Roland Arnison, and it was produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio Production in Bristol.
Transcribe →Mike Dilger on the Whimbrel
May 3100:01:37Tap 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.
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