Paul Farley on the Shelduck
Poet Paul Farley welcomes the return of the mysterious shelduck.
An episode of the Tweet of the Day podcast, hosted by BBC Radio 4, titled "Paul Farley on the Shelduck" was published on November 2, 2025 and runs 1 minutes.
November 2, 2025 ·1m · Tweet of the Day
Summary
Poet Paul Farley welcomes the return of the shelduck to our shores, back after their summer migration to the Wadden Sea. These vast mudflats off the coast of The Netherlands and Germany provide a refuge for shelducks as they go through their so-called 'catastrophic moult' where they simultaneously loose all their flight and tail feathers. Paul imagines this vast gathering of around 200,000 birds as sort of 'Shelduck Glastonbury' where they get completely flightless, and is always glad to see them home.Presented by Paul Farley and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol
Episode Description
Poet Paul Farley welcomes the return of the shelduck to our shores, back after their summer migration to the Wadden Sea. These vast mudflats off the coast of The Netherlands and Germany provide a refuge for shelducks as they go through their so-called 'catastrophic moult' where they simultaneously loose all their flight and tail feathers. Paul imagines this vast gathering of around 200,000 birds as sort of 'Shelduck Glastonbury' where they get completely flightless, and is always glad to see them home.
Presented by Paul Farley and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol