Polly Atkin on the Tawny Owl
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about birds inspired by their calls, songs and behaviour.
The home of poet and non-fiction writer Polly Atkin is surrounded by tawny owls. They are the most common owl in Britain, ranging from 20,000 to 50,000 breeding pairs, though we don't know exactly how many. Polly describes hearing the first melancholy call of a tawny owl in autumn, echoing around the lake at Grasmere. Kept awake by chronic illness, the owls' nighttime calls remind Polly that we are not alone, the sound means company, community and home.
Polly Atkin is the author of The Company of Owls (Elliott & Thompson).
Presented by Polly Atkin and produced by Sophie Anton for 麻豆社 Audio in Bristol.
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Broadcast
- Sun 9 Nov 2025 08:58麻豆社 Radio 4
Podcast: Planet Puffin
Exploring all things puffin - the silly and the serious, the scientific and the cultural.
Try this new podcast
Five stories of birds and birdsong are told by the people inspired by them.
Podcast
-
![]()
Tweet of the Day
Discover birds through their songs and calls. 265 programmes of 90 seconds, over a year
