Filming with BBC Inside Out South

TV presenter Jon Cuthill came down to find out more about Hobbies

Filming on location

In August 2020, we were delight to host TV presenter Jon Cuthill when he came down to the forest to find out more about Hobbies for a piece on BBC Inside Out South. With great care we headed into the forest to a site we knew well. Our primary reason for the visit was to take measurements from the young Hobby chicks and to fit the standard BTO lightweight rings, each with a totally unique ID. We knew the chicks were at the perfect age and we briefed the presenter for the task ahead.

In the forest with TV presenter Jon Cuthill

We had identified a suitable site for them to visit and on the walk in, DRSG's Jason Fathers talked about his passion for birds and in particular the amazing Hobby falcon. FE Wildlife Ranger Mark Warn talked about the amazing work that Forestry England is doing in the forests here, creating lots of great habitat for nature. 

Taking great care we approached the wood and keeping well back, Jon watched as we used specialist equipment to climb 20m up to a nest in a huge pine tree. Once there the climber carefully extracted the chicks and, placing them in a special bag, lowered them down for the next stage. Donning a protective helmet, Jon then joined us by the tree and took an active part in the monitoring and measuring of three fine fluffy chicks.

TV presenter Jon Cuthill joins in

One of the 3 fine fluffy chicks

Biometric measurements were taken including wing length and weight to help assess the health, age and sex of the birds. Then a unique ring was fitted under licence and when all the checks were done, the chicks were inane again placed into their own holding bag and returned back up the tree. Once up there, they were placed back into their cosy nest to await mum arriving their next meal.

Two climbers return each chick to the nest

As we quietly left the area, they talked about how special it was to see these amazing birds up close. It was great to share with Jon our passion for these special birds, and for a wider audience on the TV to learn a bit more about some of the incredible nature on their doorstep. 

Please note that Hobby is a Schedule 1 protected species and all activities were carried out under special licence and with special permission from Forestry England.