Tweet of the Day

Children's author and poet Michael Morpurgo reflects on the swan, celebrating its mysterious beauty and the wonder of its wings as they pass overhead. Tweet of the Day has captivated the Radio 4 audience with its daily 90 seconds of birdsong. In this latest series of Tweet of the Day, we bring to the airwaves the conversational voices of those who listen to and are inspired by birds. Building on t...

Music professor and philosopher David Rothenberg asks a simple question, why is the song thrush with its beautiful, exuberant and melodious song not famous for this Tweet of the Day. Producer: Tim Dee

David Rothenberg on the jazz artist of the bird world - the humble robin. David explains what the song of the robin has in common with experimental free form jazz, not dissimilar to the sound of saxophonist Eric Dolphy who spent a long time listening to birds. Producer: Tim Dee Photograph: Christine Sweet.

For professor of philosophy and music at the New Jersey Institute of Technology David Rothenberg, the blackbird is a beautiful melodic songster which helps explains the difference between bird song and bird call in this Tweet of the Day. Producer: Tim Dee

Musician Joe Acheson of Hidden Orchestra describes how slowing down recordings he made of the diminutive wren song during a dawn chorus, sounded like the morning calls of gibbons across the rainforest. Producer: Tom Bonnett Photograph: Sam Linton.

Ecologist Penny Anderson learns how to differentiate between the songs of Blackcap and Garden Warbler when to her delight she hears a Garden Warbler singing in the scrub patch in her garden. Producer: Sarah Blunt Photograph: James Hanlon.

Mandarin Ducks are flamboyant, brightly coloured ducks which originally hail from the Middle East. A feral population established here in the last century here and a pair regularly visit the garden of ecologist Penny Anderson where they waddle across the lawn, roost on her ponds and perch in her trees. Producer: Sarah Blunt

Ecologist Penny Anderson wonders whether evolution is a work in her garden as the behaviour of the frogs in her ponds seems to be changing in response to the annual visits by the herons which enjoy a spot of fishing. Producer: Sarah Blunt Photograph: Ian OK.

When a pair of Spotted flycatchers decided to build a nest in a gap in the wall, ecologist Penny Anderson had to stop the pointing work being done to her house, but she has no regrets as the birds have bred in her garden ever since. Producer: Sarah Blunt

Ecologist Penny Anderson has always liked Red Grouse and they never fail to make her laugh as she reveals in this recollection about her encounters with this dumpy red bird. Producer: Sarah Blunt Photograph: Fox Pix.

Mike Toms of the British Trust for Ornithology describes his night-time encounters with Tawny Owls in Thetford Forest in Norfolk. Tweet of the Day has captivated the Radio 4 audience with its daily 90 seconds of birdsong. But what of the listener to this avian chorus? In this new series of Tweet of the Day, we bring to the airwaves the conversational voices of those who listen to and are inspired...

Ben Darvill of the British Trust for Ornithology recalls his first encounter with the Common Rosefinch after it woke him up when he was camping on the Island of Canna in Scotland. Producer: Sarah Blunt Photograph: Eero Kiuru.

Dave Leech from the British Trust for Ornithology describes his excitement at finding a Water Rail nest containing the most beautiful eggs after having spent three years searching for a nest. Tweet of the Day has captivated the Radio 4 audience with its daily 90 seconds of birdsong. But what of the listener to this avian chorus? Producer: Sarah Blunt Photograph: Nathian Brook.

Bonita Johnson of the British Trust for Ornithology recalls seeing a pair of Robins locked in combat on a woodland floor until they were surprised by her approach and flew apart, one of them almost colliding with her! Producer: Sarah Blunt Photograph: Sam Linton.

Andy Clements of the British Trust for Ornithology describes how he was first bewitched by the captivating sound of the Golden Plover in summer above the moors. Producer: Sarah Blunt

Environmentalist Tony Juniper grew up in a neighbourhood where linnets were kept in captivity. As he recalls they were popular not only because of their striking looks but also for their song. Tweet of the Day has captivated the Radio 4 audience with its daily 90 seconds of birdsong. But what of the listener to this avian chorus? In this new series of Tweet of the Day, we bring to the airwaves the...

Environmentalist Tony Juniper recalls his first encounter on the island of Lundy in the Bristol Channel with an "elegant beauty"; a large wading bird with a long straight bill and tall slender neck which turned out to be a Black-tailed Godwit. This was a first not only for Tony but for Lundy as well! Producer: Sarah Blunt Photograph: Jeff Phillips.

Environmentalist Tony Juniper recalls catching a whitethroat in a mist net in Portugal which had been ringed in Dorset and listening to their song as part of the soundtrack of summer. Producer: Sarah Blunt Photograph: Denis Williams.

Environmentalist Tony Juniper recalls his delight at seeing a Corn Bunting; a bird whose song was part of his childhood, before the population declined mainly as a result of changes in farming practises but is responding and returning to areas where insects and seeds are plentiful. Producer: Sarah Blunt

Environmentalist Tony Juniper recalls his encounters with woodcock, from startling them in a woodland during a daytime walk to enjoying the curious sight and call of the birds as they perform their curious roding flight at dusk. Producer: Sarah Blunt

Wildlife artist Jane Smith describes her excitement at hearing the song of the whitethroat heralding his return to her garden every year. Producer: Sarah Blunt Photograph: Dave Bushell.

Wildlife artist Jane Smith is captivated by a group of Ringed Plovers and their ability to seemingly appear and disappear before her eyes so good is their colouring at camouflaging them, but their calls give them away! Producer: Sarah Blunt

Wildlife artist Jane Smith listens in the fog to a Great Northern Diver and is drawn towards the strange eerie call of the bird. Producer: Sarah Blunt Photograph: Della Lack.

Wildlife artist Jane Smith is captivated by Barnacle geese arriving from the Arctic Tundra and filling the air with their barking yapping sounds and wonderful black and white markings. Tweet of the Day has captivated the Radio 4 audience with its daily 90 seconds of birdsong. But what of the listener to this avian chorus? In this new series of Tweet of the Day, we bring to the airwaves the convers...

Wildlife artist Jane Smith reveals why she feels such a strong connection with Snipe which produce a drumming sound which seems to encapsulate the sound of the Hebrides. Producer: Sarah Blunt Photographer: Milo Bostock.