Actor, theatre director and passionate birdwatcher Samuel West presents five very personal stories, beginning with the nightingale, followed by the grey heron, the collared dove, the capercaille and finally the red eyed vireo he spotted in the Scilly Isles.

Producer Tom Bonnett

Author Amy Liptrot presents five personal stories with an Orcadian feel about the Arctic tern, hooded crow, corncrake, curlew and the greylag goose.

Produced by Mark Ward

Stories from Olympic gold medal winning rower Alex Gregory who saw kingfishers while training on the water, the tale of the egret that changed Clare Jones's life, Lily Burton's sad story of the mute swan, Tiffany Francis remembers seeing a corncrake and BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner tells his story of the little auk, introduced by Tweet of the Day producer Mark Ward.

Picture: Anna Bilska

Professor Tim Birkhead of Sheffield University presents five stories of seabirds from his time spent leading a study of the guillemot population on the island of Skomer for more than 40 years.

Guillemots crowd the cliff-sides in dense populations, which offers some protection from predators but it can stay be a dangerous place to rear young. Tim tells the story of the guillemot chicks attacked by greater black backed gulls, he also describes the ferocious ravorbill, remembers an intelligent ambush by ravens, the dull social lives of puffins and ends with a story that shows the incredible eyesight and recognition of the guillemot.

This week's stories are introduced by natural history radio maker Andrew Dawes.

BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner presents five stories about how he became interested in birdwatching and the memories bird calls evoke in him and he recounts his adventures tracking down some of the world's rarest birds. He chooses the Golden Oriole, the Great Northern Diver, birds of paradise the King of Saxony and the Three-wattled Bell-bird and he remembers a plucky white-throated kingfisher outside the Israeli parliament.

Tweet of the Day producer Tom Bonnett introduces five tales of the impact birds have had on people's lives. This week's stories come from RSPB engagement officer Nadia Archer who tells her story of watching peregrines in Central Manchester, Olympic rower Alex Gregory recalls his pet House Sparrow Sparky and remembers rowing beside white storks whilst out training, digital editor Laura Howard delights in how learnign about nature has opened her eyes to the wonder of the countryside and Tiffany Francis remembers calling 'cheese' to the turmeric coloured yellowhammers at Butser Ancient Farm in Hampshire.

Eliza Lomas introduces an omnibus of five tales inspired by birds. Writer Eleanor Matthews recalls how the magpie came into her life at a time of change. Photographer and Gaelic broadcaster Cailean Maclean recalls an encounter with a great skua. Craig Hartley revels in a near miss encounter with a green woodpecker while Paul Brook recalls a long awaited for encounter with a black tern near Leeds. finally Paul Brook recalls that at the age of eight the redwing ignited his love of birds and birdwatching.

Nature writer Melissa Harrison is the author behind At Hawthorn Time, Clay and Rain: Four Walks In English Weather. She introduces five stories of birds told by the team at RSPB Dearne Valley - Old Moor in Barnsley.

We hear from Steve Vickers who describes the gossiping eider ducks he loves in the North East, Liane Holdsworth in praise of the kestrel, Heather Bennett who loves the laser-like 'pee-wit' sound of the first bird she identified for herself, Danielle Meyer remember seeing gannets on a blustery day on the Yorkshire east coast and Matthew Capper lends his booming voice in an emotional recollection of seeing the bittern when he was 19, having never seen them as a child.

Explorer and travel writer Hugh Thomson presents five stories of birds and the emotions they stir in people.

Kim Durbin tells the tale of a tame blackbird that came so close she saw a human connection in it, gull researcher Peter Rock describes an encounter with lesser black-backed gulls, John Clifton of RSPB Dearne Valley Old Moor in Barnsley has high hopes that bee-eaters will nest more and more in the UK, Paul Brook considers the luck involved in seeing wildlife and Springwatch cameraman Nigel Bean remembers finding a water rail that came to be a star of the series.

Author and birdlover Michael Morpurgo introduces more stories of birds and birdwatching.

John McPherson talks about the hooded crows and herring gulls, Joe Harkness discusses the nightingale, teenager Mya Rose Craig's bird is the sea eagle and schoolboy Josh Myers talks about the short-eared owl.