Tweet of the Day: A Year of Bird Lovers
About this audiobook
Bird lovers including Will Young, Samuel West, Dermot O'Leary, Greta Scacchi and Sue Perkins introduce us to their favourite birds - plus, Alison Steadman presents The Twelve Tweets of Christmas
Since 2013, Tweet of the Day has been a daily delight for early risers, with its 90 seconds of beautiful birdsong and fascinating ornithological stories. But what of the people who tune in to this avian chorus? In this collection, we bring to the airwaves the conversational voices of an array of wildlife enthusiasts, all eager to recount their encounters with birds - among them 'Birdgirl' Mya-Rose Craig, writers Joe Harkness, Amy Liptrot, Melissa Harrison and Mark Cocker, Springwatch host Lindsey Chapman and the staff at Slimbridge Wetland Centre, the RSPB, BirdLife International and the British Trust for Ornithology. Together, they guide us through the year, from May to March, and introduce us to the birds that have inspired them.
We also hear from some unexpected celebrity sources, who share stories of the birds that catch their eyes - and their ears. Will Young tells us about seeing a Woodland Kingfisher as a child in South Africa; Sue Perkins recalls coming face to face with a Great Horned Owl and Greta Scacchi reveals her fondness for the magnificent Goldfinch.
Other famous names include Samuel West, who counts the turkey-like Capercaillie and the dapper, white-bibbed Dipper among his ten picks; and Dermot O'Leary, whose five choices include 'the Alsatian of the skies', the Greater Black-Backed Gull. Jimi Goodwin, the lead singer in Doves, swerves his band's titular bird in favour of the Cuckoo and the Mallard; while musician Fyfe Dangerfield celebrates the two birds that gave his bands their names - Guillemots and Gannets - along with eight others, and uses his own birdsong recordings to experiment in music.
Also featured is The Twelve Tweets of Christmas, in which Alison Steadman provides a selection of festive editions inspired by the well-known carol 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'.
Production credits
Produced by Maggie Ayre, Miles Warde, Tom Bonnett, Eliza Lomas, Mark Ward, Karen Gregor, Tim Dee, Sarah Blunt and Andrew Dawes
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.
About the author
Will Young is a leading voice in mental-health awareness, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. His highly acclaimed book To be a Gay Man explored these issues with a focus on gay shame. Will also founded the podcast 'The Wellbeing Lab', where he interviews experts on different mental health topics each week. He lives in London with his two dogs, Esme and Domino.
Michael Morpurgo is one of Britain's best-loved storymakers. He has written over 150 books loved by readers around the world. His best-known work, War Horse, was adapted into a multi-Oscar-nominated film by Steven Spielberg and into a widely acclaimed play by the National Theatre. In 2003 Michael became the third Children's Laureate, a position he helped to create with the poet Ted Hughes. With his wife, Clare, he set up the charity Farms for City Children, and for their pioneering work they were both awarded the MBE in 1999. In 2017 he was awarded a knighthood for services to literature and charity.
Monty Don has been gardening on TV for over 25 years for ITV, Channel 4 and the BBC, and since 2003 has been the lead presenter on BBC TV's Gardeners' World, which from 2011 has been filmed in his own garden in Herefordshire, Longmeadow. He is an experienced organic gardener and was President of the Soil Association from 2008 to 2017. He has written a weekly gardening column for the Daily Mail since 2004, and published 19 books, including Down to Earth, the top-selling gardening book in the UK from 2017 to 2019.
