Birds In Britain

Birds In Britain was a BBC Radio series, broadcast from 1951 to 1963 on the Home Service, about wild birds. Its lead presenter was James Fisher.[1]

Birds In Britain
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Home stationBBC Home Service
Hosted byJames Fisher
Original release19 March 1951 (1951-03-19) – 17 March 1963 (1963-03-17)

It was created as an offshoot from a programme called The Naturalist, in order to avoid overwhelming the content of the latter with ornithological material.[2]

The first episode was broadcast on 19 March 1951 and was presented by Fisher and produced by Desmond Hawkins, with guest speakers John Gibb (Edward Grey Institute), Bruce Campbell (British Trust for Ornithology), Hilda Quick (Cornwall Birdwatching Society) and Ludwig Koch.[3]

Other presenters and guests included notable ornithologists, such as Arnold Boyd,[4] William Condry,[5] Eric Ennion,[6] Julian Huxley,[4] Tony Norris,[7] Peter Scott,[8] and Tony Soper.[9] Soper was also the producer of some episodes.[6]

The show was first broadcast quarterly,[8] and eventually monthly, alternating every fortnight with The Naturalist.[9] It ran until March 1963.[10]

A biographical note on Fisher, accompanying The National Archives' record for their collection of his papers, says the programme was "enormously popular in [its] day".[11] David Attenborough has said of The Naturalist and Birds of Britain:[12]

As a boy, I listened to those programmes, and I dare say my own passion was stoked by them.

References
  1. "James Fisher". WildFilmHistory. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  2. "Desmond Hawkins – Oral History Transcript" (PDF).
  3. Birds in Britain, 19 March 1951 Radio Times entry at the BBC Genome Project
  4. Birds in Britain, 8 December 1957 Radio Times entry at the BBC Genome Project
  5. Birds in Britain, 10 September 1956 Radio Times entry at the BBC Genome Project
  6. Birds in Britain, 7 October 1956 Radio Times entry at the BBC Genome Project
  7. Birds in Britain, 10 February 1957 Radio Times entry at the BBC Genome Project
  8. Birds in Britain, 13 September 1951 Radio Times entry at the BBC Genome Project
  9. "Tony Soper: Oral History Transcription" (PDF). Wildscreen. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  10. Birds in Britain, 17 March 1963 Radio Times entry at the BBC Genome Project
  11. "The Fisher Collection (1913-1993)". Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  12. Attenborough, David. "Bristol and Wildlife TV - more than an accident of History". BBC. Alt URL
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