Tweet of the Day

The non-fiction writer Polly Atkin is particularly fond of owls. Tawny owls surround her home in Grasmere in Cumbria, and she has observed the wintering of short-eared owls at the coast. One which remains elusive is the highly secretive long-eared owl, which Polly has never seen in the wild. Considered to be thinly but widely-spread in the UK, they are a scarce breeding species and very difficult to survey. Polly recalls stories from centuries ago of large colonies of long-eared owls resident in the Cumbrian woodland.
Polly Atkin is the author of The Company of Owls (Elliott & Thompson).
Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.

As a child, the entomologist George McGavin found a dead gannet on the beach, and set about extracting the skull for his collection. He was fascinated to discover the hundreds of pointed barbs in its mouth. Now years later he marvels at this clever bit of evolution which prevents fish falling out of gannets' beaks as they dive into the water then become airborne again.
Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.

CEO of the British Trust for Ornithology Juliet Vickery is particularly fond of brent geese, having studied them on the Norfolk coast for three winters. They are our smallest goose, which migrate from the Arctic Circle every year. She describes what she learnt about fluctuations in their population, and the fascinating connection with lemmings in the Siberian tundra.
Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.
This programme features recordings from Xeno-Canto by David Darrell-Lambert (XC994302 and XC994306)

The writer Horatio Clare has a message from the rooks, pointing out the ways they differ from crows.
Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.
This programme features audio from Xeno-Canto recorded by Olivier Swift (Rook - XC703729)

Conservation biologist Tolga Aktas shares his fascination with watching jackdaws. He was struck by the contrast between its black plumage and piercing pale eyes, which they likely use as a communication tool. Jackdaws form large, noisy communal winter roosts with other species, and aren't afraid to mob predators behaviour which Tolga finds spectacular to see.
Presented by Tolga Aktas and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio Production in Bristol.