Hugh's Wild West

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall explores the wildlife of the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean, the hideaway for some very particular creatures. He becomes captivated by the extraordinary life of the dipper, the UK's only aquatic songbird.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall explores the Jurassic Coast to investigate the life of its most curious creatures and to meet the locals dedicated to helping them. His fascination for marine life centres on an intriguing ocean oddity: the cuttlefish.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall explores Dartmoor on a quest to find out more about his favourite garden bird, the long-tailed tit. He joins local naturalist John Walters to discover how family life is the key to survival for these little birds.

Hugh's on his home patch of the Dorset/Devon border, where he investigates the return of an animal that hasn't been spotted here since the 16th century, the beaver, and discovers how these dam-building rodents are changing the landscape.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is in the Somerset Levels to witness huge winter flocks of starlings swirling in the sky as they come in to roost. The reedcbeds where they seek refuge have been created from old peat quarries.

In another lovely instalment of his charming wildlife series, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is in the Forest of Dean, trying to catch a glimpse of notoriously elusive, shy and skittish wild boar. Accompanied by an enthusiast they go deep into the forest, where they almost fall over another spotter, who’s so well camouflaged he’s almost invisible. But there’s a magic moment when the pair spot a “sounder” of boar, including loads of piglets. If only Hugh had remembered to press “play” on his brand-new camera. But not everyone’s a fan of the animals, who bulldoze the soil with their powerful snouts, including in playgrounds and churchyards in Forest towns and villages.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 festival goers 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 and 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.

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.