Autumnwatch with Bill to return October 27th
22/09/2008 00:00 GMT

Posted by lisa

According to an article in the Daily Echo at http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/display.var.2449883.0.brownbbc_island.php, Autumnwatch is set to return on October 27th (running Mondays through Thursdays for two weeks).

BrownBBC Island!
By Diana Henderson

Beautiful Brownsea Island is well known to be one of TV presenter Bill Oddie's favourite wildlife places.

And the rest of the nation will be able to share his joy in the Poole Harbour island when the BBC's popular Autumnwatch is based there next month.

Film crews will broadcast from the island for two weeks from October 27, from Monday to Thursday at 8pm and the island's opening season has been extended to allow people to visit during Autumnwatch.

Presenters Bill Oddie and Kate Humble will explore the wildlife of the National Trust island, famed for its delightful red squirrels and visiting winter waders and wildfowl.

More than 200 acres of the 550-acre Brownsea Island is a nature reserve, managed by Dorset Wildlife Trust, and offers a wide variety of habitat.

Feathered friends include around 1,000 avocet, the UK's largest wintering flock.

* Brownsea is celebrating its most famous residents next weekend.

Activities and trails will help form part of Red Squirrel weekend on September 27-28, from 10.30am-3.30pm each day.

There will also be daily Red Squirrel guided walks, at 11.30am and 2pm, from September 22 to October 24.

A Fungi Foray, exploring the island's fungi, takes place on September 18 and October 4, starting at 11am.

The weekend of October 25-26 hosts a celebration of Brownsea's autumn trees, from 10.30am-3pm each day.

For Halloween, there are spooky trails around the island each day from October 27 to November 2, with a special Halloween Horrors day on October 31, from 10.30am-3pm.

For more information call 01202 707744 or visit nationaltrust.org.uk/brownsea.

9:24am Saturday 20th September 2008