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Samuel West at Rainham Marshes in Essex

Clare Balding walks with actor and passionate birdwatcher Samuel West around one of his favourite birding spots, the RSPB reserve at Rainham Marshes in Essex.

Clare Balding walks with the actor, and passionate bird-watcher, Samuel West around one of his favourite birding spots, the RSPB reserve at Rainham Marshes in Essex.

Currently in rehearsals for a West End production of Uncle Vanya, Samuel West takes a day off to share with Clare Balding his deep love of birding.

He's drawn to birdlife because, he says, it reflects human-nature so well, "birds interact with the world through colour and song, both of which we - as humans - really get."

A trip to Kenya at the age of 14 ignited this passion; "In Britain, birds were 3 inches long and brown.. in Kenya they were 7ft tall and couldn't fly, or bright blue... they were easy to tell apart... that's where it all started".

Producer: Karen Gregor.

Available now

23 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Thu 11 Oct 2012 15:00
  • Sat 13 Oct 2012 06:07

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