Hugh's Wild West S01 E07-E12 (720p HD, soft Eng subs)
E07
Nature lover Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall celebrates the wildlife of the West Country and meets the dedicated people safeguarding its future. This time, Hugh's journey takes him across Dartmoor, from the granite peaks to the sea. Hugh follows the fortunes of a buzzard family as their single chick fledges and heads towards independence, he seeks out salmon as they migrate upstream to breed, and he helps marine biologists to survey dolphins off the Devon coast.
Nearby, water voles are being returned to the area after a 30-year absence, and local vet Stephen Powles has developed an extraordinary level of trust with one otter and her cubs living at the end of his garden.
E08
Nature lover Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall continues his wildlife adventures across the West Country. This time, Hugh is exploring the diverse county of Dorset, where the mild climate creates ideal conditions for all kinds of creatures. In spring, Hugh joins ornithologist Martin Cade at Portland Bird Observatory to monitor migrating birds like blackcaps and wheatears as they arrive on our shores after their epic journeys from Africa.
In the woodlands nearby, bat enthusiast Colin Morris keeps a watchful eye on the extremely rare Bechstein's bat - he even knows individuals by name. And retired policeman Mick Jenner hopes to catch up with an otter family that he has been filming over the past few years. Hugh also tries to track down one of our largest (and loudest) insects, the great green bush cricket, but it is easier to hear than see. And as autumn arrives, Hugh gets a glimpse of the sika deer rut, when stags compete for dominance.
E09
Lifelong wildlife enthusiast Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall celebrates the natural world of the West Country and the people protecting it. This time, Hugh is in the Wye Valley hoping to come face to face with an animal that has intrigued him since boyhood - the barbel, also known as the Prince of the River. With the help of local angling guide, the appropriately named Adam Fisher, Hugh wants to fulfil his dream of swimming with these large, regal fish.
It is not just the river that is teeming with life - the cliffs around Chepstow are home to one of the fastest birds on the planet, the peregrine falcon. Thanks to eagle-eyed birdwatchers, the nests of these rare birds are being protected from persecution. In the north of the valley, Hugh helps to re-introduce tiny harvest mice on a wildlife-friendly farm, and after a day with spider enthusiast Tone Killick, Hugh manages to overcome his arachnophobia, turning his fear into fascination.
E10
Nature lover Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall continues his wildlife adventures across the West Country. This time, Hugh discovers how the people and animals of Dartmoor live alongside each other in this challenging landscape. He visits an ancient hill farm with dozens of nesting house martins and swallows that thrive thanks to the careful farming practices of tenants Mark Owen and Naomi Oakley.
In the town of Buckfastleigh, Hugh spends an evening surrounded by bats as they forage for insects, but local bat enthusiasts are keen to track down where they give birth so they can protect these important maternity roosts. And Hugh joins Dru Butterfield, who has dedicated her life to the Dartmoor pony to see how these hardy creatures can help retain and restore the biodiversity of the moor.
E11
Wildlife enthusiast Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall meets the creatures and nature lovers that make the West Country so special, this time exploring the Somerset Levels. Hugh visits Worthy Farm, the home of Glastonbury Festival, to see how the wildlife copes when a quarter of a million festivalgoers descend on the countryside, and discovers that the badgers seem pretty unfazed by their new neighbours.
Nearby, Secret World Rescue Centre rehabilitates animals that need a helping hand. It is time for Drift the otter to return to the wild, but can he survive on his own?
Hugh also visits Steart Marshes on the Somerset coast, where a vast area of farmland has been reverted to saltmarsh to provide a haven for all kinds of birdlife and one of Hugh's favourite fish, the eel. European eels have suffered a huge decline in the past few decades but, with this new marsh and the help of the local community, their future is looking brighter.
E12
In the final episode, nature lover Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall pays tribute to the wildlife heroes who are protecting the West Country's creatures. He meets Beryl Casey, who has transformed her home into a hedgehog hospital, nursing sick and injured hogs back to health. The UK's hedgehog population has halved since the millennium so every animal counts, and Hugh helps return one of Beryl's patients to the wild.
Across the region, Hugh discovers volunteers working hard to safeguard their local wildlife - whether that is helping amorous toads to cross busy roads in the breeding season, keeping watch over precious gull nests or creating space for nature in a bustling caravan park. And one Somerset teenager, Mya Rose, is determined to recruit the next generation of wildlife guardians by enabling inner-city kids to get into the countryside.
First broadcast: Feb-March 2018
Duration: 1 hour per episode
