Bill Bailey’s Mull Birdwatching Bonanza on screen 28th January
published this on 10:39 am, Thursday, 10th December, 2009Events| Mull| News| Television | Comments (rss) | Respond | Ping |
| January 28, 2010 | ||
| 8:00 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
Comedian Bill Bailey plays host to a rough and tough 6-part outdoor reality show, hitting Sky 1 and Sky i HD at 8.00pm on Thursdays, starting on 7th January 2010.
Bill Bailey’s Birdwatching Bonanza is designed to test and develop the observational and practical sklls of two competing teams of celebrities while they check out British birds.
The series is shot in high definition, is said to be breathtaking and will play well to those who’ve treated themselves to an HD television set for Christmas – the big response to the recession.
The 6 episodes are set, in order of transmission at:
- Solway Firth, January 7th
- Norfolk, 14th January
- Flamborough Head in Yorkshire, 21st January
- Isle of Mull, 28th January
- Peak District, 4th February
- Rutland Water, 11th February
NOTE: These transmission times have already been changed from one day ahead of each of the dates above. This is the likely sequence of dates but we advise keeping an eye on the TV Guides and catching the Mul programme on Sky Player if you miss it.
Bill Bailey, with a lifelong interesting in birding himself, will be joined in the series by permanent leaders of each team, fellow media folk and birders, Alex Zane with the Brown Team and Jeff Green with the Blue Team (the producer missed a colour trick there).
The teams will live under canvas on the challenges, setting up a night’s evaluation of the day’s experiences around the campfire.
For the Mull episode (and keep an eye out for Dave Sexton, RSPB Mull Officer who may be caught on camera), Alex on the Brown Team is joined by Donal MacIntyre, intrepid undercover reporter, winner of Celebrity Masterchef and star of Dancing on Ice; and Jeff will be with Jayne Middlemiss.
They start by navigating their way from Oban to Mull in high-speed RIBs – not the most environmentally friendly approach but, hey, it’s TV.
On the way over, as well as getting the course right, they have to look out for sea birds – Gannets, Guiilemots (the most gloriously gregarious birds) and Gulls.
Day 2 will see them on the heights of the majestic island, looking for Golden Eagles and other upland birds.
After that, they’re back on the water, tasked with finding Oyster Catchers, Herons, Curlews and Mergansers.
The final day is the climax – the Loch Frisa Eagle Hide, hoping to catch sight of the ‘flying barn door’ – the 8-foot wingspan of the awesome White Tailed Sea Eagle, successfully reintroduced to Scotland and with a good breeding season behind it in 2009.
The contest will be won on the calibre of the photographs taken – and there are two set targets: the White Tailed Sea Eagle and the Hooded Crow.
Question is – can they better the work of Mull’s gifted amateur (an inappropriate description) wildlife photographer, Iain Erskine – demonstrated above in his copyrighted shot of a Sea Eagle in flight? See the show on 29th January and make up your mind. (At least they should recognise the raptor after this shot.)
Related Posts
The Latest News from ForArgyll delivered via email, weekly or daily. You know it makes sense!
Comments (rss) | Respond | Ping | | Print This Post
Loading...