Ross Macfarlane mailed to point us in the direction of today’s Radio 4 programme In Search of the Old Ways, where Robert Macfarlane (relation? We should have asked) walks with Claire Balding from his Cambridgeshire home out onto the Icknield Way. Should be on the iPlayer for a while if you miss the 3pm broadcast.

Also on Radio 4 is Tweet of the Day – a daily, early morning bird call followed by a story behind the sound. The mighty Chris Watson is behind the recordings, you can find out more here.

Yesterday’s Guardian Country Diary entry came from one of Caught by the River’s favourite parts of the world – the Tamar Valley. The next best thing to a weekend away.

A few records that we’ve been ceaselessly spinning: Mogwai‘s spectral, beautiful soundtrack to Les Revenants (retitled the Returned for the current Sunday night Channel 4 run); Boards of Canada‘s Tomorrow’s Harvest – eight years in the making yet still worth the wait – a perfectly odd record; (James) Holden’s The Inheritors – an incredible record that one week after hearing I’m still trying to fathom. At points sounds like medeaval musicians playing math rock with a free jazz accompaniment. Basically, if you’ve ever wanted to hear a punch up between Circulus, Battles and Sun Ra, get stuck right in.

Jeff recommends two books: Four Fields by Tim Dee, which comes out in August just ahead of Tim’s reading appearance on our Estuary stage at Festival No 6. Also, he’s declaring Gun Machine by Warren Ellis as the best thriller he’s read in ages.