What can we look forward to this series on Winterwatch? Anything in particular you’re excited about?
I’m really looking forward to being on Arne because last winter I was down there but I was more roving. I spent quite a bit of time on Brownsea Island, which is beautiful. So it’ll be nice for me to have a proper look around the RSPB Arne reserve in winter. Whenever I go in my own time is invariably spring or autumn, so it’ll be lovely to be there for winter.
What is some of your favourite wildlife to spot at this time of year and why?
At this time of year, I’m really looking forward to seeing some of the birds in the shallow bay there, all kinds of waders and wildfowl. But also, I’d love to get really nice views of the local white-tailed eagles. That would be great. We saw them in Springwatch, but it was a fairly distant view. It’d be lovely to be able to watch them hunting out over the shallow bay.
BBC Winterwatch has come from RSPB Arne, Dorset, for two years. What makes this place such a prime location for wildlife?
I think it’s the fact that you have so many different habitats in a relatively small area. You’ve got a fantastic heathland, where in spring and summer, of course, you’ve got all six reptiles – grass snake, smooth snake, common lizard, sand lizard, adder and slow worm. They’ll all be hibernating now. You’ve also got some scarce birds. You’ve got the woodland there, and the woodland should be fantastic now that the leaves have gone and it’s much easier to see some of the birds there. You’ve got some really nice hedgerows, really thick hedgerows, a great place to see firecrests in the winter for instance – quite a scarce bird in the UK. And then you’ve got the lagoons, the sort of shallow bay, and some of the lagoons are full of waders and wildfowl, and on top of that, you’ve got some nearby reed beds. So it’s this mix of habitats, I think, in a relatively small area.
How important is it to get young people involved in green spaces? Are there any young voices on Winterwatch this year?
Yes, there are young voices. A lot of young voices. It’s vitally important to engage young people because we need the next generation up there and fighting for our wildlife. And the way to do that is to get them very early on. If you can hook them very early, then that love and respect for wildlife never really goes away.
Why should viewers watch Winterwatch and what do you hope they will take away from it?
What I like about the Watches is the fact that it’s all about UK wildlife. You don’t get many shows, hardly any at all actually, that just concentrate on UK wildlife, Much of what we show, people can see in their own back gardens, in their own park, in their own local woodlands, their own bit of coast. So, I’m hoping that we give people ideas, that they think “Do you know what? We should do that. Let’s go out and do that now.” So that’s what I’m hoping people will take away, that what we see they can also see, as long as they get outside.
Can you remind viewers what they can do in their outside spaces to support wildlife in winter?
If everyone does maybe half a dozen simple little things. If you have a garden, big or small, it doesn’t matter, allow some areas to go wild. Do not use chemicals, toxic chemicals. Please don’t use those. Maybe plant a few fruit trees. You don’t have to have a big garden. I’ve got a smallish garden here, it’s a meadow now, more or less with nine apples trees. Plant native whatever you possibly can and make sure that there are flowers available all through the year for pollinating insects. And put out food. Put out food for the birds and other wildlife, a mix of food. I put out suet balls, I put out peanuts, I put out mixed seeds. And a pond. It doesn’t matter if it’s a big pond or a small pond. It can be an upturned bin lid and an old washing up bowl, just anything like that is brilliant for all kinds of wildlife, and provides water as well at the time when, when our wildlife needs it. And actually, if you’re going to cut some of the little bushes, some of the apple trees, you need to prune them back in the winter sometimes, leave what you prune in a pile in the corner of your garden. That’s going to be invaluable for all kinds of creatures, from invertebrates to newts to toads, maybe even a hedgehog, if you’re lucky enough. And of course, talking about hedgehogs, make hedgehog highways if you’ve got a fence or a wall, leave holes there for the hedgehogs to go from garden to garden. If it’s a balcony, you can still have some fruit trees, you can still get one of those bird feeders, attach it to the window, watch the birds come in. You can still put a little bit of water there. You can still do these things even if it’s a balcony.
About
Winterwatch returns to BBC Two & iPlayer with Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan and Iolo Williams bringing viewers the latest news and wonder of winter wildlife, from Tuesday 21 January 2025 at 8pm across four nights.
Live from the heart of RSPB Arne in Dorset, part of the UK’s first Super National Nature Reserve – the Purbeck Heaths Super NNR, the presenters will reveal the stories of this season and viewers will be able to immerse themselves in the beauty and drama of the winter natural world.
With live broadcasts, behind-the-scenes features and beautiful natural history films, the show promises a mix of heartwarming, awe-inspiring, and entertaining, educational content.
Set against the backdrop of Dorset’s stunning heathland, wetlands, and woodlands, Winterwatch will showcase the dramatic challenges and fascinating behaviours of our UK wildlife as they navigate the winter season. Viewers can expect thrilling stories of resilient creatures, from elusive birds of prey to the mysterious, nocturnal movements of deer and foxes.
Adding to the bounty of stories from RSPB Arne, the series will bring pre-filmed, seasonal stories from across the UK with plenty of opportunities for viewers to interact, get involved, and share their own winter wildlife encounters.
As ever, live cameras will be rigged across the site to capture all the drama of the season. Long lens cameras will be poised to capture footage of the local white-tailed sea eagles who patrol the skies over Arne and have been known to head to its shores in winter in search of food.
The programme will catch up with the resident foxes and explore their winter behaviours – and not forgetting our smaller avian characters, our cameras will be set to capture the comings and goings at our bird feeders as we witness which species are taking advantage of the food on offer.
With the RSPB’s Big Garden Bird Watch just days away, we’ll be giving our audience tips on how to get involved themselves and record the species that they see in their own gardens.
Our macro studio will be back so we can shine a spotlight on the miniature marvels that call Arne home and see what amazing adaptations they have evolved to cope with the challenges of the season.
Source
BBC iPlayer
