Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
The focus of the fifth film in our Wild Westcountry Odyssey series is the Exe Estuary in Devon, a vital refuge for many of our most threatened bird species.
Professor John Wedgwood Clarke observes the extensive mudflats and the thousands of wintering birds that feed on the nutritious mud before they move into the marshes as the tide rises. He highlights how this mud sustains fragile creatures, including the beautiful avocets, elegant egrets, and red listed black-tailed godwits, among others.
Through stunning flight sequences and poetic reflections, the film celebrates the Estuary's critical role in providing refuge for threatened wildlife and its fragility to the prospect of rising sea levels.
John praises the conservation efforts of RSPB working in partnership with the Environment Agency along with coordinated actions by Devon Wildlife Trust and the Teignbridge Council that manage the Estuary and address the challenges posed by climate change.
All images copyright Simon Willis Films
All music copyright Audio Networks as listed on music details
Poems copyright John Wedgwood Clarke
The focus of the fifth film in our Wild Westcountry Odyssey series is the Exe Estuary in Devon, a vital refuge for many of our most threatened bird species.
Professor John Wedgwood Clarke observes the extensive mudflats and the thousands of wintering birds that feed on the nutritious mud before they move into the marshes as the tide rises. He highlights how this mud sustains fragile creatures, including the beautiful avocets, elegant egrets, and red listed black-tailed godwits, among others.
Through stunning flight sequences and poetic reflections, the film celebrates the Estuary's critical role in providing refuge for threatened wildlife and its fragility to the prospect of rising sea levels.
John praises the conservation efforts of RSPB working in partnership with the Environment Agency along with coordinated actions by Devon Wildlife Trust and the Teignbridge Council that manage the Estuary and address the challenges posed by climate change.
All images copyright Simon Willis Films
All music copyright Audio Networks as listed on music details
Poems copyright John Wedgwood Clarke
