EPISODE · Dec 28, 2025 · 1 MIN
Polly Atkin on the Short-Eared Owl
from Tweet of the Day · host BBC Radio 4
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)
What this episode covers
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)
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Polly Atkin on the Short-Eared Owl
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