BBC Winterwatch uses RSPB Minsmere volunteer's bittern film

An amateur photographer said watching BBC TV as his film of a bittern was used to open the 2023 Winterwatch series was a "very exciting" moment.

Steve Everett captured the bird picking its way carefully across a frozen reedbed at the RSPB Minsmere reserve in Suffolk during December's cold snap.

The RSPB volunteer, from Felixstowe, had never seen a bittern walking on ice before and "had to get it on video".

BBC researchers asked if they could use it after seeing it on his Twitter feed.

The keen amateur photographer has invested in more and more equipment to help him capture better images

Mr Everett said he was in a hide with a group of photographers at the coastal reserve near Sizewell when "this bittern just walked out from the reedbed".

"It's always exciting when they just come out into the open, but it then just wandered about, it was shivering - it was obviously looking for somewhere to fish because everywhere was frozen," he said.

"It was sliding about and you just knew that was something you had to get on video because it was just a classic moment."

Bitterns became extinct in the UK in the 19th Century, but conservation projects mean their numbers are slowly on the increase.

Using his @whistling_joe Twitter account, the cameraman has also posted footage of other birds at RSPB Minsmere, such as this marsh harrier

Mr Everett took up wildlife photography when he visited Minsmere with his wife a few years ago and he is now a volunteer guide, photographer and safari driver.

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The RSPB's social media team regularly use his images and stills, but watching the TV, as presenter Chris Packham did a voiceover using his bittern footage, was "a very good moment, I must admit".

The Winterwatch team has also been in touch about his footage of a murmuration of starlings - so now he is waiting to see if that will also be featured.