{"id":25778,"date":"2023-03-07T01:06:53","date_gmt":"2023-03-07T00:06:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/?p=75001"},"modified":"2023-03-07T02:35:49","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T01:35:49","slug":"wild-isles-episode-one-whats-it-all-about","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/wild-isles-episode-one-whats-it-all-about\/","title":{"rendered":"Wild Isles: episode one \u2013 what\u2019s it all about?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Killer whale teamwork, white-tailed eagles hunting and enormous seabird colonies: what was it like filming Wild Isles? And what can you expect to see? Series producer Alastair Fothergill reveals some of the epic sequences and how technology was used to capture incredible footage. <\/p>

By Jo Price\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 07 March 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Filmed over the course of three years, Wild Isles<\/em><\/a> is a new five-part BBC series investigating how our woodland, grassland, freshwater and ocean habitats support wildlife of all kinds.<\/p>\n

In episode one, Our Precious Isles<\/em>, Sir David Attenborough<\/a> celebrates the rich variety of wildlife that exists in the British Isles and explains why our small and uniquely positioned set of isles are so critical for the survival of species from right across the globe.<\/p>\n

Expect to see the biggest colony of northern gannets<\/a> in the world, huge flocks of barnacle geese and Sir David Attenborough filming on location at a puffin<\/a> colony.<\/p>\n

When does Wild Isles<\/em> air?<\/h2>\n

Episode one, Our Precious Isles<\/em>, airs on BBC One<\/a> and iPlayer<\/a> on Sunday 12th March at 7pm.<\/p>\n

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Puffins return to the colony in the early evening. \u00a9 BBC\/Silverback Films\/Alex Board<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

What are the key stories in episode one?<\/h2>\n

Lords-and-ladies pollination, Bristol<\/h3>\n

This plant heats up and releases a foul-smelling scent irresistible to flies, tricking them to enter its flower. It keeps the insect hostage, then showers it with pollen and allows it to escape. The team made tiny windows in the petals to film the structures within. Thermal cameras captured glowing images of the plants heating up. Camerawoman Katie Mayhew says, \u201cAt their hottest, surprisingly, the flowers really did smell \u2013 and you could even feel the heat by touch.\u201d<\/p>\n

White-tailed eagles hunting geese, Islay<\/h3>\n

This is the first time the whole hunting sequence has been filmed. Formerly extinct in the British Isles, around a dozen white-tailed eagles now winter in Islay. Capturing the whole hunt required a co-ordinated team of specialist long-lens camera people and wildlife spotters. The white-tailed eagles<\/a> ranged over vast areas so the team had to keep in close communication, positioned in hides at eagle hotspots around Islay. It took several trips and more than 70 days filming.<\/p>\n

Killer whales catching seals, Shetland Isles<\/h3>\n

In another filming first a pod of killer whales<\/a> communicates with one another before going silent as it approaches a group of harbour seals, so as not to scare them off. Then the killer whales work together to isolate one seal from the group. Using drones and specialist camera equipment on board their boat, the Wild Isles<\/em><\/a> team filmed this footage over three years. They were in contact with about 250 local people who helped them to race the orca along the coast.<\/p>\n

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In April when the bluebells emerge, badgers bring their cubs above ground. \u00a9 BBC\/Silverback Films\/Rachel Bigsby<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Meet the Wild Isles<\/em> series producer<\/h2>\n

Wild Isles<\/em> series producer Alastair Fothergill explains why Britain and Ireland are globally important for nature and reveals some of the epic sequences in the series.<\/p>\n

Why did you decide to focus on the British Isles for this series?<\/h3>\n

Ever since I worked on the original Blue Planet<\/em>,<\/a> Planet Earth<\/em><\/a> and Frozen Planet<\/em><\/a> series, I have always wanted to cover the British Isles and our natural history with a similarly ambitious and epic approach. I knew that nobody had ever had the opportunity before to really do justice to the spectacular scenery and rich and varied wildlife found at home. I also have a personal passion for our natural history.<\/p>\n

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In my long life, I\u2019ve been lucky enough to travel to almost every part the globe and gaze upon some of its most beautiful and dramatic sights. But I can assure you that nature in these islands, if you know where to look, can be just as dramatic and spectacular as anything I\u2019ve seen elsewhere. The British Isles are globally important for nature. In this series we\u2019ll show you why that is so and celebrate the wonders of these islands that we call home.