RADIO 4: Tweet of the Day – The Turtle Dove

Author and co-owner of Knepp Wildand, Isabella Tree, tells the success story of the Turtle Dove in the rewilded landscape – the quiet purring of the Turtle Dove from thickets of willow here, is a soundscape of hope.

Listen-in to this BBC Radio 4 Tweet of the Day episode on Sunday 12 July, 8.58am. Or listen back on Sounds here.

In early summer at the Knepp Rewilding Project in West Sussex you’re almost guaranteed to hear a turtle dove, one of the UK’s rarest birds. Conservationist Isabella Tree writes how its gentle soothing sound tugs at the heartstrings, as today fewer than 3000 breeding pairs remain. But at Knepp, turtle doves can find areas of dense thorny thicket where they like to nest, and wildflower seeds to eat. Now every year they count 20 singing males, which is a quarter of the population in Sussex. (BBC Radio 4)

This programme features my Turtle Dove recordings from Knepp. 

Listen out for another three Tweets of the Day in Isabella’s series across the next few months.

If you missed the nightingale one, here it is. You can also find the episode about the Cuckoo here.

Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio Production in Bristol.

(Photo credit: Knepp Wildland)