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.

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Polly Atkin on the Long-eared Owl is an episode from Tweet of the Day by BBC.

This episode is 1:30 long.

This episode was published on Feb 8, 2026.

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