Tweet of the Day - Polly Atkin on the Long-eared Owl
Download Polly Atkin on the Long-eared Owl
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.
Published on Sunday, 8th February 2026.
Available Podcasts from Tweet of the Day
We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Tweet of the Day webpage.