Tweet of the Day

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.

The poet and non-fiction writer Polly Atkin observes the wintering of short-eared owls in Cumbria. They are the UK's most nomadic owl, with residents joined by migrants from Scandinavia, Iceland and Russia, seeking a gentler version of the season. Fellow owl-lovers have told Polly of the moment they arrive exhausted at the coast, and she has watched a pair nest in a building site near the sea, concerned how they would survive.
Polly Atkin is the author of The Company of Owls (Elliott & Thompson).
Presented by Polly Atkin and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio Production in Bristol.
This programme features recordings from Xeno-Canto by Lars Edenius (XC731000 and XC731272 - Short-eared owl)

For poet Liz Berry, December is the robin's month, when our hearts are warmed by its singing under frosty streetlights. She wonders if its midwinter song is one of the reasons why we feel close to robins, and imagine them as our companions in the thin places between living and dying. Liz tells the story of how the robin brought her hope during a difficult pregnancy, inspired by its fierceness and willingness to survive.
Presented by Liz Berry and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.
This programme features a recording by Martin Billard from Xeno-Canto (XC871726 - European Robin)